


El Mayarah

by Rykeral



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-08
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2018-09-30 22:45:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 48,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10174109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rykeral/pseuds/Rykeral
Summary: El Mayarah- the House motto of the House of El of Krypton. It means stronger together.  Supergirl struggles with keeping Lena Luthor in her life as Kara Danvers is given the cold shoulder after her betrayal of the CEO.  Eventually the two learn that yes, they are stronger together. A Luthor and a Super. El Mayarah.





	1. Betrayal

**Author's Note:**

> Supercorppp requested this fic because she wanted more Lena falls in love with Supergirl and has to adjust to her being Kara, rather than the other way around. . Imported from Tumblr with the same title. Supergirl struggles with keeping Lena Luthor in her life as Kara Danvers is given the cold shoulder after her betrayal of the CEO. Eventually the two learn that yes, they are stronger together. A Luthor and a Super. El Mayarah.

Betrayal. It was a word and concept Lena Luthor was intimately familiar. Before Lex’s crusade against superman and his imprisonment, she had been used to so called ‘friends’ as a child, growing up knowing that they were leeches and only wanted her for her Luthor name. The children of her parent’s associates didn’t count, they were raised to be wary of anyone outside the family just as she was, and any fun was competitive and edged with malice. She thought she had found friends in college, but had quickly learned their value once news broke of Lex’s arrest, his trial, and imprisonment. Lena was used to being alone, but that didn’t make it any easier, so she had moved from the shadow her last name cast over her in Metropolis for a fresh start, and maybe, the chance for friends.

Funny how the one person in National City that she had grown to care for, and even call her friend, her only friend, had been the one to stab her in the back, but the best assassins always were. Sighing she twirled the amber liquid in her decanter and tilted her head back and downed the lot, breathing harshly as its fire burned its way down her throat. She wasn’t a drinker, usually, but tonight she’d make an exception. After all, it wasn’t every day you set your own mother up to be arrested. Sure, she didn’t set Lillian on her path, but she had helped and then brought about her demise.

She snorted to herself as she padded towards her room, snagging the bottle by the neck and letting it dangle between slender fingers. What a Luthor she turned out to be. One friendly with an alien, and one who betrayed their matriarch to protect a bunch of aliens she didn’t even know or care for. Lex would probably kill her for real this time. The thought caused a bitter ache in her chest as she thought of her brother and she filled her glass as she walked down the dark hallway and downed it in quick succession.

At least this burn was for a reason.

It was well past midnight and she’d been slowly working her way through a bottle of Whisky. She had soon run out of ice-cubes but hadn’t been bothered enough to get up and go to the fridge. The liquid straight would do her fine. She wanted the oblivion of unconsciousness, not a pleasant buzz. And she was almost there, she absently thought as she staggered against her door-frame and stumbled over her feet and towards her big, inviting bed.

After turning on her mother and watching the police cuff her, they had taken her in for questioning. Not the police, no, it had been the agency that worked with Supergirl, the DEO, their uniforms said, she had tried to figure out their full name while they dragged her into a black unmarked vehicle and drove her to a secure location. Agent Danvers had been with her, ( Supergirl had met them at the DEO) and had basically demanded she hand over the virus, the actual isotope, and she had refused. It was L-Corp property and would remain L-Corp property, and if they tried to take it like her mother had when she sent that human cyborg, then she’d bring her full might against them.

Perhaps she would have been more willing to hand it over, but the medical advancements that could be achieved with the virus were no mere developments and she would not hand that over, not until she was certain that they had examined every avenue that lay before them.

Supergirl had to step in between her and Agent Danvers as they stared each other down. Apparently Kara’s sister was second in charge while her alien boss was getting medical attention. She wasn’t sure what for, he seemed to come out best in the fight between his twin, but whatever, it wasn’t her problem. Supergirl had talked to Alex and said that this wasn’t fair, and that Lena had been the only reason that J’onn and Mon El, and countless other aliens were still alive, and that they caught the leader of CADMUS. Lena had just wanted to go home, and drown her sorrows in an expensive bottle of whisky, maybe two.

Alex had placed her hands on her hips, staring Supergirl down, and the hero hadn’t faltered, though Lena had to admit it was quite a glare. “Fine,” she said eventually and the Super smiled tiredly at her and then looked at Lena.

“Thank you,” she said and it was the first time someone had actually thanked her.  Alex huffed, threw her hands in the air and stalked away.

She nodded in agreement. “I’ve given my statement. Now I’d like to go home.”

The Super nodded eagerly and stepped closer and then hesitated. “Um, did you want me to give you a lift home? I mean, um,” she flushed adorably and shifted on her feet nervously. “I can fly you home now, if you like. Otherwise you’ll have to blind-folded again…”

Lena cast a glance around the DEO headquarters and then eyed the Superhero contemplatively. She was of two parts about it. One, she was a secret adrenaline junkie and the thought of soaring through the sky without any protective gear was making her heart stamp, but… she didn't entirely trust the hero and she honestly just wanted to crawl into bed with a bottle of scotch and not move until morning. “The car, please,” she said and there was a slight slumping to the hero’s powerful stance and Lena narrowed her eyes curiously. It had almost seemed like the Kryptonian had wanted to fly her home.

“Right, okay. Um, it’s this way,” she pointed towards the stairs and where there was a lot of natural light coming in. “But…um, you’ll have to close your eyes…sorry,” she lifted her shoulder in shrug and looked apologetic.

“Can’t trust a Luthor with your location, right,” Lena said bitterly to herself but the heroes blue eyes widened.

“No!” She yelped, causing her voice to echo a little in the room and a few agents looked their way. “No,” she repeated firmly, voice strong and eyes intense and she straightened, exposing her family crest. “That has nothing to do with it. We’re um, we’re just concerned with anyone knowing where we are…. Safety reasons….” She faltered and offered Lena an encouraging smile.

Lena ignored her lips twitching and fought the urge to smile in response to the Super’s radiance.

“Just….take me home, please,” she said quietly and looked into the super’s blue eyes.

“Okay,” Supergirl had agreed easily and summoned an agent to drive her home and they had been stony featured with black glasses and a side-arm at their side. They already knew her address, which in hindsight wasn't all that surprising, and they at least spared a thought for her image. They drove around the back of her apartment complex and flashed an ‘FBI’ badge to the guard there and drove underground before letting her out. At least there were no press down here, even if it was dark and dull.

The guard looked at her with wide eyes as she exited the car and stalked across the concrete to the elevator and pressed the ‘up’ button. Her VIP status, or rather her expensive penthouse suit ensured she didn’t have to stop at the lobby and her keycard took her straight to the top floor. 

She returned to her room and after making sure her security was set, she moved quickly to her alcohol cabinet and grabbed the first bottle she could see and set a crystal decanter on the small bar. She poured the liquid generously and promptly downer the lot, gasping a little as fire roared down her throat and into her belly where it simmered, warm and low. She poured herself another glass, and turned her phone off and proceeded to spend the rest of the evening drinking her way through the bottle, curled up in her pyjamas and watching the night go by through her generous windows.

She knew she’d regret it  come morning, but as she snuggled her way groggily under her covers she couldn't bring herself to care. No one else did.

~*~

 

The wind blew gently across the face of her building and a breeze tickled the pot-plants on her balcony and she sighed quietly into the night. She eyed her nearly empty bottle of wine and then reached for it and refilled her glass. Years of dining with her parents and their associates had born a great tolerance to alcohol, though she tended not to drink, having liked to have her wits about her.

Two weeks. It had been two weeks since she had betrayed her family name and saved the alien population of National City. Two weeks of silence from her so-called friend, Kara Danvers, and two weeks of silence from the alien population. It had also been two weeks of death-threats (more than usual), long hours at the office (she had practically ruined her ten thousand dollar couch by sleeping on it) and insults spat at her from all corners of the globe and media platforms. She was used to the reaction her name now invoked, especially after Lex, but still, she had thought she had done the right thing, and yet…. why did she feel so bad? Why was the world treating her as though she were ‘just another Luthor’ and waiting for her to go evil?  Why was she still alone? 

Sighing she closed her eyes and leant back on her chair and let her glass of wine dangle from her fingers. It had been a long week, and she had only agreed to return home due to Jess’ request. Her poor assistant had been run ragged and she made a mental note to thank her for her efforts, as well as her attempts to keep Lena fed, watered, and having a few hours sleep every day.

A whisper of cloth alerted her she was no longer alone and she allowed her eyes to flicker open and a small smile fleetingly curled her lips before she neutralised her features. 

Supergirl looked tired in the faint light coming from inside and by the moonlight.

“Hi…” she extended the vowel and Lena couldn't tell if it as out of nerves or exhaustion and she seemed worn and weighted down even as she hovered in the air.

Lena contemplated her for a moment. “If you’re staying, come down. I don't want to tilt my head to look at you.”

The hero smiled and slowly lowered to land on the edge of her balcony. “Sorry to bother you,” she said after a few moments silence, punctuated by Lena’s sip of wine.

She almost snorted. “Do I look like I’m entertaining?” She shook her head, that came out more self-loathing than she had intended. “Don’t answer that,” she requested and the Super’s blue eyes flared with something and she nodded and took a seat at Lena’s gesture.

“Soooo,” Lena drawled out, tongue loosened by expensive wine. “Where’ve you been?”

At Supergirl’s slight frown she elaborated. “The shapeshifting alien you work with may have the rest of the city fooled, but I have more intelligence than that.”

Supergirl smiled, and for a moment she was radiant with it, its light chasing away the shadows on her face.

“A friend needed some help…”

That was interesting and Lena leant forward. “Oh? What is so important it requires Supergirl for over a week and a half?”

“He ah,” Supergirl ducked her head into her shoulder and the movement triggered something in Lena’s mind. It seemed so familiar, but she couldn't place it. “Do you remember that speedy guy? The one that Cat Grant called The Blur?” Her lips curled around the name fondly, as though sharing some secret joke with Lena that made her feel included even though she wasn't.

“Yes, he helped you defeat one of Cat’s old assistants. The Siren or something?” Lena said, remembering the case and the media attention it got. That week Cat Grant had been National City’s most talked about CEO and not her.

“Um Livewire and Silver Banshee. Yeah, well he, ah, he’s from another Earth…” Supergirl trailed off and Lena leant back in surprise.

“The multiverse theory is true? Fascinating.” She thought for a moment and then leant forward curiously. “What was it like? How did he get here? How did you get there? What did he need you for? Did you not exist there?”

Supergirl adjusted her cape over her lap. “Well, um, I’m not really a scientist, but Barry, ah, my friend the Flash, said he managed to run fast enough to open a breach, and then he and his friend Cisco used their technology to hold the breech open and walk through it.”

“That’s incredible! It could in theory be replicated by an electromagnetic generator to move the particles fast enough in a-”. she trailed off and looked over at the Super curiously. “So why did he need you?”

Supergirl hesitated and glanced over the balcony and to the city. “I hadn’t landed on their Earth...maybe Krypton never even exploded, maybe my parents-,” her breath caught and she swallowed. “There was an attack on their Earth by other aliens and he was forming a team to fight them..” She shrugged and looked over at Lena. “So what have you been doing?”

Lena sniggered and gestured with her wine to the balcony to indicate the rest of the world. “You mean other than receiving death threats and dealing with the stock fall-out from putting my mother behind bars? Drinking!” She said and lifted her glass in toast. Some wine almost sloshed over the side but after two weeks Lena was a pro.

“Mother’s trial starts next week…. but I’m sure you already knew that,” she said without a touch of venom. Supergirl sighed and nodded. 

“The D-er, the team I work with updated me as soon as I came back.”

Lena’s brow creased. “So you haven't been home in two weeks?”

The hero shrugged. “I- I wanted to see you…. to make sure you were okay…”

Lena’s throat went tight and she blamed the sting of the wind for the way her eyes went glassy.

“I’m fine,” she said bitterly. “Not that anyone cares, even the people I thought cared don’t.” She eyed the remaining contents of her glass and swirled it absently as she sighed. She’d blame the alcohol for how candid she was being, but she hadn't drunken that much, and she’d had practice this past fortnight, so maybe it was nice just having someone  _ there _ . 

Jess was steadfast, but she was not her equal, and never could be. They were employee and employer, even if Jess cared more for her than her family did.

“I care, “ Supergirl said quietly, her name-sake entering her tone and Lena lifted her eyes. The Super had a half smile on her lips and her eyes were bright and earnest. “I care,” she repeated again and Lena felt her throat tighten again.

She cleared her throat and took a few unsteady breaths as the words echoed in the chamber of her heart and pulsed through her body.

“I’ve been trying to track CADMUS,” she offered to change the subject and the light in the hero’s eyes darkened.

“Have you had any luck?” There was a hint of desperation to the enquiry, perhaps her agency hadn’t been as successful in tracking CADMUS as they would like.

Lena shook her head. “Nothing solid as of yet, but I’ll let you know what I find.”

Supergirl sighed and let her strong shoulders slump forward a moment. “Thanks.”

They were quiet for a moment after that, the sounds of the city the base-line to their evening and Lena sighed as she capped her wine bottle. Another wine gone. At this rate she’d turn into her father. The thought made her stomach churn.

“You should head home to rest. I’m sure your day job is calling you,” Lena suggested as she rose to her feet. Fluid and as graceful as water even with her considerable alcohol consumption.

Supergirl started as though she’d forgotten Lena was there as she watched over the city.

“Yeah… I guess it is…”

She got to her feet as well, and flicked her cape out behind her and wandered over to the balcony railing.

“Miss Luthor….Lena,” she corrected strongly and Lena turned curiously. “I-what you-” Supergirl paused and took a step towards Lena.

“What you did for the aliens in National City, what you did for my friends…. it’s not something I’ll ever forget, and they’re alive now because of you.” Supergirl’s eyes turned glassy and she swallowed. “Because of you, Lena, not me or, or J’onn, or the police or my cousin, people are safe and can go back to their families. You did that,” she said and pointed at Lena.

“I will carry that. I’ll carry your strength and bravery and selflessness with me, and so will the aliens of National City.”

Lena felt her eyes water again and the tight feeling in her chest, where she’d stored and contained all her hurt since she’d stopped her mother shifted and cracked, splinters running along the box. She hadn’t been thanked, not truly bar the breathless ‘thank you’ Supergirl had offered her as the DEO swarmed the scene, and it was so soothing on the jagged and raw wounds of her soul, torn though vicious and scathing commentary in the media, public, and online.

Supergirl smiled gently and took another step forward. “You defied your mother, your name, what people say about you, all to save people...beings... _ aliens _ ,” Supergirl emphasised and placed her hand over her crest. “That you didn't even know. It gives me hope,” the caped protector told her. “Hope that humanity can over-come even the greatest of obstacles to do the right thing, and to protect and to serve and to love each other.”

Tear’s were falling unbidden down Lena’s cheeks and the pressure in her chest grew and grew, clawing against the prison of flesh and bone trying to tear its way up her throat.

“This crest, the ‘S’,” Supergirl said doing the bunny ears with her fingers, “Means, well,  hope.”

“Yes, I know,” Lena said and lifted a brow and Supergirl shook her head.

” No.El Mayarah. It is the symbol of my House, the House of El of Krypton, and stands for ‘Stronger together.” Supergirl straightened proudly, displaying her crest for Lena to see and her eyes glowed with the light of a thousand stars as she explained how ‘hope’ was the only Earth word that could match the feeling. 

“But it is so much more than hope. It’s that feeling you get when you see a parent and a laughing child in the park, or the pride when you achieve something. It’s the thrill of victory and also the honor and acceptance of loss, the determination to come back stronger than ever. It’s standing at the bottom of a mountain and then at its peak. It’s watching the sunrise! People working together after a disaster. Building something beautiful. It’s looking at the stars!  It’s that feeling when you come home, warm blankets in front of a fire. New life! It’s family and friends and love. it’s knowing you aren't alone. It’s that feeling in your chest when you picture the future. It’s life!”

Supergirl paused, exhaustion gone and eyes blazing. “El Mayarah means moving forward and knowing that you do not stand apart, that we are all equal under Rao and we will all stand together and face the future.”

“It’s being your own hero,” Supergirl said softly, inner fire fading but still present.  “That is what you gave me. El Mayarah.” She tapped her crest again and the emotion in Lena’s chest broke free and tore its way through her body and out her throat in a strangled sound. 

“You were-are-my hero, Lena Luthor,” Supergirl said strongly, blue eyes intense.

**She brought her hands to her mouth to smother her sobs but the Super caught them and for the first time in years someone held Lena Luthor while she cried. She cried for her mother, for Lex, L-Corp that was her El Mayarah, her broken family, the innocents hurt in her mother and brothers crusade, her lack of friends and love. And she finally, finally allowed herself to cry for Lena; a young woman drowning under the weight of her name the way people truly drowned, quietly and without fanfare. Her body was wracked with sobs and her nose and eyes ran but she had never felt safer; surrounded by warm, blue arms of steel and cradled against a pillar of hope. El Mayarah. **


	2. War

“Miss Luthor will see you now,” Jess said, eyes sharp and Kara could feel them drilling into her back  as she walked past with the same chilly intensity of an eagle. Normally, or before the Medusa incident, Jess was happy to see her, or at least friendly, but she’d been avoiding Kara’s calls (much like her boss) and when she finally managed to get a hold of her, she had directed Kara, some what frostily, to the PR division of L-Corp. 

The CEO had been silent after her mother's arrest, and L-Corp had only issued a statement with regard to distancing Lena and L-Corp from her mother's actions, while carefully praising the DEO and Supergirl. It was very polished, and gave little insight to how Lena was feeling on the matter, in fact, no one was aware that Lena had called the police and foiled the attack herself. She merely held herself proudly and silently as vitriol was spat at her from various news outlets, media, people, and as her stocks plummeted again, and investors pulled out.

Once she returned to work, and Snapper had made sure she wasn't contagious, apparently she had caught a bug and had been laid up in bed for the past two weeks-The DEO doctor had helped her with a certificate- he had put her on the Luthor Trial. It was the biggest news in the city right now, and though she was a junior reporter, he figured she could use the practice. What Kara had figured out he meant was that ‘go and find something worth my time and get out of my (lack of)hair’. He didn't actually expect her to come up with anything newsworthy, but wanted her away so he didn’t have to deal with her. 

It was very frustrating, but she knew that one semi-decent article and a position from Cat Grant didn’t make her a reporter, but she did want Snapper’s guidance. He was one of the best in the business and could teach her a lot.

So she had thought she could speak to Lena, and maybe get an exclusive, that would put her back in Snapper’s good books, or rather, take her off the ‘don’t let me catch you near me unless you have an interview with Supergirl and Superman’ list.

Lena had been difficult to get a hold of. Kara had left messages and Lena hadn’t called back, and when she did manage to get through, Lena had been busy, or called away, or said she would call her back, but she never did.

So, she had tried to go through Jess and see if she could get access to the CEO. To her surprise and frustration she was barred access without an appointment, and Miss Luthor was backed up for weeks, would she like to be scheduled in for the next available spot? 

Frustrated she had followed, not stalked, she was not a stalker, she just wanted to talk to Lena, the CEO and had caught her outside her apartment. Okay, so it did sound kind of stalkery, but she just wanted to talk to her friend. She had actually missed her.

Lena had not been happy to see her at her apartment and had made that clear, much to Kara’s confusion, as she didn't know what she had done to deserve Lena’s ‘Public, CEO face’. Kara had managed to get an interview space, and so here she was ready to see her friend after more than three weeks of not speaking. Lillian’s Trial was scheduled for this afternoon and was still the headlining story. She had a few questions she wanted to ask her and knew that quotes from the CEO would be her crème de la crème for her article. 

Lena was working at her desk and cast her a glance and went back to working. “Make this quick, Miss Danvers, I have a company to run.”

The formal address and dismissive glance immediately set the tone for how this conversation was going to go, and Kara felt her hurt etch its way across her features.

“Le-na?”

“Miss Luthor.  You are a professional,” Lena corrected without even looking at Kara and went back to her blueprint. Kara saw a smudge of ink on Lena’s long, slender fingers as she  rolled them out and then went back to her design.

“Le-erh, Miss Luthor? I- I are you okay?”

Lena kept her eyes on her blueprint as Kara hesitantly stepped towards the desk.

“Fine, actually. Thank you for asking.”

Kara frowned and took another step forward. Lena hadn’t looked at her yet, and she wanted to see her bright green eyes.

“I um, okay,” she nervously adjusted her glasses. Lena had never made her feel small, made her feel self-conscious sure, but never like she was worthless. She didn't like the feeling and felt something in her chest tighten.

“I um, I have a couple of questions about-”

“About my mother and CADMUS, Miss Danvers?” Lena had finally given up all pretence of pretending to work and her head snapped up and it reminded Kara of when she’d first met Lena and her hair was long and straight and her eyes had been blazing at Clark. She was beautiful.

“Are you sure you didn't get everything from our last chat?” Lena wasn’t holding back, her voice was cutting and her eyes as immobilizing as Kryptonite and Kara froze.

“You know…’ Lena lifted her shoulder in a shrug. “I thought you were different. For the first time in my life someone actually wanted to be my friend for me, for Lena. Not for my brother, money, or last name, but for me.  And then you wanted my help with Roulette… but that was my help, something I could give freely, with no personal cost, and I thought that I had finally found a friend, a true friend...my only friend,  but I was wrong.” Lena’s voice turned to ice, as brittle as cracked glass. “Wasn’t I?”

Kara’s mouth moved trying to form words but they were torn from her lips before she could utter them. Lena’s defensiveness reminded her of when Lena argued with Supergirl over her mother, but there was a hint of sadness here now, and betrayal.

“No, I-”

“You what, Kara?” Lena demanded and rose from her desk. “I have an above average intellect and have been used to it since I was adopted. I know when people, when  _ reporters _ ,” she sneered, “are fishing for a story.” She was still beautiful, but the coldness Supergirl had described only Lillian as having was peaking through the cracks in her armour.

Kara winced but let Lena continue.

“So tell me, why are you here when you obviously know everything about me?”

Seeing no option but to admit why she went to see Lena Kara sighed and rolled her fingers nervously. “Yes, I knew your mother was up to something, and I wanted to see if you were in on it or knew where she was. I needed intel,” Kara confessed quietly. Then her head snapped up. “But I  _ never  _ for a moment thought you were a part of it,” she promised.

“Didn’t you?” Lena asked quietly, fire gone and leaving her empty. “Didn’t you think I was part of it, Kara?”

Kara couldn't tear herself from Lena’s eyes and swallowed.

“Didn’t you think I was helping? Didn’t you think I was just another Luthor? You didn’t ask me, you just went digging. I thought we were friends…”

“We are friends!” Kara shot back quickly, eyes wide and a heavy feeling moving from her chest down to her stomach and churning there.

“Are we?” Lena enquired. “A friend would have told me what they suspected, would have respected and cared for me enough to tell me something that I might not have wanted to hear, even if it could hurt me, or hurt our friendship.”

She swallowed and Kara could hear her heart hammering in her chest, even across the distance.

“But you didn’t, Kara. You didn’t… how can I ever trust you? How-” Lena swallowed and through a tight throat voiced the words that would end their friendship. “How can we be friends?”

Kara took a stuttering breath. “I was wrong, about you, about-about everything, and I’m so sorry.” She croaked out and wiped her eye so that a tear wouldn't roll down her face. 

“I- I don’t know how to earn your trust back, but, I- I care about you, so I’ll do whatever you want to be your friend again.”

“You shouldn't have lost the chance in the beginning. Fool me twice, right?” Lena asked bitterly and then gazed across at Kara. “You know I thought we,” she trailed off and shook her head and a tear ran down her face and she made no move to rub it away. “You weren't honest with me, Kara, and I value honesty above almost all else. And you, you betrayed me.” Her voice cracked on the final word and the tears stopped flowing by sheer will power, but Kara started to cry openly instead.

Lena straightened and Kara could see her drawing her armour around her, shrouding her in untouchable steel, but even with armour on, it doesn't always protect from broken bones.

“I’d like you to leave. Please,” Lena requested and her jaw moved with unspoken words. “If you have any questions, I am sure Jess can direct you to our PR department.”

Lena took a deep breath and it was Lena Luthor, CEO of L-Corp looking over at her.

Kara fidgeted with the strap for her messenger bag. “I-can we-are we still friends? Can we-can I somehow earn your trust again?”

Lena hesitated. “Just give me time, please?”

“Su-re, yeah. Of, of course!” She stuttered and stumbled and finally made her way outside. As the door closed behind her she rested against it and closer her eyes, turning her head heavenward as though Rao’s faded light could save her from her stupidity. 

She was a terrible friend. She had done everything Lena had said. She hadn’t given her a chance. She had lied, by omission, and she had not trusted Lena. She did everything a friend shouldn't do, and she wasn’t even trying to protect Lena, she was doing it for selfish reasons. Not that saving the alien population was selfish, but in terms of their friendship, she had been selfish.

Jess had paused in her typing and she could feel her eyes on her still, but this time they were without ire, and seemed to be more curious than anything.

She heard her sigh and roll her chair back and the click of her heels heralded her arrival.

“Here,” Jess said, voice softer than it had been before.

Kara’s eyes flickered open and she saw Jess was offering her a box of tissues and she took them with a small, bitter smile. “Thanks,” she said quietly and Jess tilted her head.

“Did you break up?” She enquired softly and Kara blinked.

“What?”

“You and Miss Luthor, did you break up?”

“What?! No! No, we went, um, what? Why would you even-I’m not-she’s not-what?” Kara started to ramble in her startled confusion. Lena wasn’t gay, and even if she wasn’t, there was no way she would be interested in Kara, especially not now.

“Oh sorry,” Jess looked apologetic. “I just thought… you had lunch and stuff, and she doesn't let just anyone interrupt her time.” She lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “It’s very valuable.”

“But, um, dating? Me and Lena?” Kara aske bemused.

Jess lifted a brow. “You used to be Cat Grant’s assistant, what would you think if she gave access to someone other than family?”

Kara’s protest fell silent. She knew that only three people had direct access to Cat Grant at all times; Carter, her ex-husband (when Carter was with him), and Kara herself, while she was her assistant. But that was only fair, seeing as she was basically Miss Grant’s and Cat could get ahold of her at all times. What would she have thought if Miss Grant allowed someone else complete access to anyone apart from Carter? She would have suspected something going on immediately. Cat didn't even do that to her board members and business partners, they had to go through Kara. If Cat had ever done that, she would have immediately thought they were dating. 

“We were, are, um, were just friends…” Kara trailed off and looked at her shoes. Her converse were a little scruffy and she should probably buy a new pair. Maybe with her next paycheck…

“Ah,” Jess said knowingly. “Broke the cardinal rule of friendship did you? Did you sleep with her brother?”

Kara nearly choked on her own spit. “Wh-at? No! God, no! No!”

Jess just laughed. “Yeah, one of her old ‘friends’ did that, now I think she works as a cleaner somewhere- not that there’s anything wrong with that. Lena ruined her career...but I shouldn't be telling you that…”

Jess cleared her throat and glanced over at her desk as her phone began to ring. “Right, well, bring that back when you’re done.”

She nodded and then clicked quickly back to her desk and picked up the phone. It must have been important if the receptionists down the bottom of the tower let the call go through.

“Lena Luthor’s office,” Jess answered confidently and jotted down some information. Kara left the tissue bow on the desk and placed her used tissues in the bin Jess lifted up to her.

‘Thank you,’ she mouthed as she gathered herself and wandered to the elevator.

The cheesy, happy elevator music provided a steady baseline to her thoughts as she descended through the building and she passed security and walked across the lobby without really seeing anyone. 

She felt...off, heavy and sticky and ...ergh. She ducked into the nearest alley, one next to a shop selling electronics, and was soon soaring through the air. Even flying, the most freeing and joy filling thing in the world (next to potstickers and family) wasn’t enough to erase Lena’s fractured voice and crumbling walls because of something she had done. It made her feel sick.

The journey to the DEO was swift and a few minutes after leaving Lena’s office she landed. She might have landed a little heavier than normal, if the way the reinforced concrete cracked at her landing was anything to go by. 

One of the agents cast her a disapproving glance and she stared at him until he looked away awkwardly. Feeling oddly satisfied by that small victory she strode off through the DEO looking for Alex.

She trusted her instincts and walked almost subconsciously through the concrete  and steel corridors and down into the bowels of the facility. Down here were the laboratories and barracks, mess hall and leisure lounge, as well as a few storage rooms and the green training room as well as a large gym.

The steady thunk of something colliding called her forward and she could pick up laboured breathing and the rhythmic pounding of trainers on a treadmill. There was a low hum of voices beneath a cacophony of fans and overlaying music.

She entered the gym and saw a guy on the treadmill with earphones in his ears; two sets of agents were working weights; a trio of women were talking quietly on yoga mats and stretching;  and Alex was beating a punching bag.

Her sister noticed her arrival in the large mirrors that circled the room and she paused in her routine before rallying and focusing back on the bag. A few dozen seconds later and she turned panting to face Kara.

“What’s wrong?” She enquired and bent down to pick up her sweat towel and water bottle.

Kara lifted a shoulder in shrug and looked away from her sisters intense eyes. 

Alex always knew. Somehow.

“Wanna talk about it?” She asked as she tilted her head back and downed what remained of her water.

Kara shook her head quickly and looked away again. Alex’s eyes were searching and she knew if she caught her gaze she’d spill everything, and she didn't want to, didn't know what to say, didn't know how she was feeling to begin with.

Alex eyed her a moment as she uncapped her bottle and then she shrugged and walked over to the water cooler and filled her bottle. Kara followed like a lost puppy and Alex’s dark eyes caught her in the mirror again before Kara looked at her boots and fiddled with the end of her cape.

“Come on,” Alex said and led the way from the gym, waving goodbye to the guy on the treadmill and he shot her a cheeky, half-smile and a salute.

“I want to work on your form. We haven't practiced for two weeks,” she elaborated to Kara’s frustrated look.

“Fine,” Kara sighed and followed her sister down to the green room. Alex keyed in her code and identification and the doors slid open with a soft hiss.

She tapped at the keyboard for a moment and turned the emitters up and Kara felt the drain instantly and could hide her slight groan. 

“Emitters at thirty-seven percent,” Alex said and left her drink bottle and towel on one of the benches. “Come on, warm up,” she instructed and Kara waved her arms around a moment and then settled into her warm-up.

She was warm and limber when Alex finally started her attack, and she had to turn her complete attention from Lena’s heartbreak at her betrayal and dodge her sister.

Alex was smooth and confident, as fluid as water as she moved from attack to defence and darted around Kara as though she were a statue and Alex the wind.

To be fair the emitters were higher than normal, if only by a little bit. It was enough to put her physically at a disadvantage, and required all of her brain power and combat training, and she was thankful that she had Alex and the DEO to teach her how to fight. Clark got his ass kicked whenever he faced an opponent that knew combat, simply because Superman didn't have an equal, physically, on earth,( that he knew of), for decades.

When her blood was humming through her veins and her breath was coming in sharp pants Alex finally let up. She was on her back after being thrown over Alex’s shoulder and panted into the silent room.

“She doesn't want to be my friend,” she said finally and her voice wavered.

Alex looked down at her confused, hair sticking to her forehead and mouth open in a pant. “What? Who?”

“Lena….” Kara said and felt her eyes watering and closed them to examine the inside of her lids.

“Luthor?” Alex enquired, and she could hear her confusion. “Why?” Alex’s footsteps faded as she walked across the room and a few moments later the sickly green glow faded and Kara felt strength rushing through her limbs and steading the shakes. Earth’s sun was like swallowing sunlight and love and happiness and letting it seep through your body, like a hot drink after a day in the cold, or a long bath.

Her breath steadied and her aches faded. Alex had truly made her pay for her momentary lapses in concentration, but it was good. She had needed it. Her body was still on a high from the endorphins.

Kara let out a long sigh as Alex sat next to her and started to stretch out. Kara was lucky, she usually only needed to stretch and rest after blowing out her powers, or after battling someone at full strength. The energy she had expended while under the emitters faded the moment they were turned off. Alex was very jealous of it.

“Lena doesn't want to be my friend because she thinks-because I did-betray her,” Kara said as Alex stretched out her legs.

“Explain,” her sister said, and Kara did. She explained how her and Lena were becoming friends, how she helped them find Roulette, how she caught the bad guys at the gala, and how she stopped her mother with Medusa. 

“Okay,” Alex said slowly as she moved on to her arms. “Why does she not want to be your friend then?”

“Because I broke her trust,” Kara said quietly and looked at her boots. “She’s hurt that I tried to dig for information, that I used a false interview to try and get it, and that I didn't just come out and say what I suspected.”

Alex was pensive, and before she spoke Kara knew what she was going to say. “Weeeelll,” she hedged and Kara blinked.

“I am so subtle! I can be sneaky!”

The look Alex shot her conveyed her disbelief. “Kara, I find it very hard to believe so few people know your secret. You have the subtly of a teletubby riding a unicorn down Main Street with a rainbow flag.”

“Fine. So I’m not subtle,” she might have been pouting a little bit. “But-”

“Kara, you tried to use her, or at least that’s how it would have come across as,” Alex interjected and straightened from her stretch and looked down at her sister as she lay on the floor.

“She’s a Luthor, she’s probably used to people wanting things from her, rather than wanting to be her friend, and you basically did the thing that she fears… not to mention you’re a reporter as well.” 

Alex was always a good sounding board and with this it was no difference.

“That makes sense,” Kara nodded and tilted her head to look up at Alex. “How do I win her back?”

Alex’s brow arched and Kara flushed in the face of her particular word choice. ”Get her trust back so we can be friends again?”

“Trust goes both ways, Kara. You know that,” Alex said gently, not so subtly referring to the metaphorical Kryptonian elephant in the room, but she knew she wasn’t pressuring her into telling anyone she didn't want to, especially not a Luthor. “You have to prove you’ll be there, that you can be trusted.”

Alex shrugged and held her hand out for Kara to take. “How’d you get her to be your friend in the first place?”

Kara frowned but accepted the offered hand and rose fluidly to her feet, making sure not to pull her sister over.

“Well…. I kinda just slipped into it. We talked a little at her gala and then I had an interview and a follow-up interview, and then there was L-Corp’s newest product…. we started to get working lunches and they turned into lunches…”

Alex held the door open and Kara passed through it quickly. “You could start there again. But you don’t want to be too pushy,” she added as she headed towards the showers.

“I’ll see you at Court, yeah?”

Kara nodded. “Is anyone else coming with you?”

“The DEO is sending two teams and another in civilian clothes, and J’onn is going to be there as well. But only us three will go into the courthouse...and Cole.” Alex added, referring to one of their law experts.

“Okay. I’ll see you later.”

Alex nodded and walked backwards for a moment to give one last cautioning glance to her sister. “And Kara? Be prepared for what the xenophobes are going to say… it’s gonna get nasty out there.”

Kara nodded, holding Alex’s concerned gaze and she offered her a smile before she turned and made her way through the DEO and out onto the streets.

Lillian Luthor’s trial would start in less than two hours, and Supergirl would be expected to make an appearance, she knew that from reading the news, and also by being a reporter.

Lena was expected to show up as well, and she felt a momentary pang for the CEO. Kara had read the comments online and heard the vitriol the general public was spitting about the youngest Luthor. It was….unpleasant...even for the cesspool the internet could become, full of hate, fear, and violence. But Lena hadn’t commented bar L-Corp’s standard press releases and every reporter in the city was itching to get an exclusive with her, or even a sound bite.

It would be an interesting case, that was for sure. Technically Lillian hadn't done anything illegal; Alien’s weren’t people, and any crimes against them didn't count. The President was trying to push anti-alien crime laws but still had a way to go. It looked like the few charges that Lillian could be charged with were regards to owning weaponry and sending a rocket into the sky. The Luthor lawyers were prepared, that much Kara knew from the brief statement they had released, but so far no one knew anything. Maybe Lena did, but she wasn't about to talk to Kara.

She flew over the city and stopped two muggings, one burglary, and flew a cyclist to hospital after a hit in run. She even took the time to track the vehicle and carried it to the top of the National City Police Department parking, just to make a point. The driver was slumped in his seat in defeat and the moment she dropped the car there were curious looks and police jogging forward to see what it was about.

“Supergirl,” Alex came across her earpiece as she soared into the air. “We are headed to the courthouse, ETA seven minutes. Have you seen the news?’

Kara tapped her earpiece so she could reply. “No, “ she frowned and looked around her for a television. “What’s happening?”

“A few people have already been arrested. There are two groups forming, one anti-alien, and the other is pro-alien. It got nasty earlier, a few guys had a punch up over their views.”

Kara coiled her body and shot forward, making sure to keep her speed low enough that she wouldn't shatter any windows, but fast enough that the blocks between her and the courthouse grew smaller and smaller.

She heard the crowd before she saw it and as she flew around a building she saw it. A mixture of colours in a mass of whirling arms and legs and she wondered if it would turn into a riot. It had at Lex’s trial, between people calling him a hero, and others calling him Satan for what he was trying to do. Lillian Luthor’s arrest had brought all of the old arguments back into the light and the old crowds were already battling each other online. It would probably turn nasty, and the police knew it too, because there were lines of them and riot vehicles and alert officers on standby.

As she lowered herself slowly to the ground outside the police lines a familiar black unmarked vehicle of the DEO pulled up and Alex, J’onn and a short, stocky man with sharp dark eyes and a  silver mohawk, of all things, got out.

They were in their full combat gear, or at least, the FBI versions of it, and strode easily up the steps towards her. The reporters had lenses trained on the trio and started shouting questions the moment they saw her smile and respond to the three salutes she was offered.

The crowd was already screaming and it was hard to hear over them but she saw a sleek black vehicle glide to the curb, and she knew immediately who was inside. It idled for a moment as the camera lens’ turned on it and the crowd waited with baited breath to see who would get out, even though they could probably guess.

“Can you meet me inside?” She asked Alex quietly, and her sister shot J’onn a look and he turned from the car with a furrowed brow. “Please?

He nodded. “We’ll meet you inside, Supergirl,” he said commandingly and Alex and mohawk dude, who was probably the agent Cole that Alex had mentioned earlier, followed him up the steps. There were guards on the door, but they let the three through without contestation, maybe because they saw their badges, or maybe because she, Supergirl, had saluted them, when they got closer.

Kara could hear the frantic strumming of Lena’s heart and took a deep breath and drew all that she believed El Mayarah to be and strode towards Lena’s car. She knew the eyes of the media and public was following her, but she didn't care, right now she could help, and she would try.

Reaching the car she hesitated, and waited a moment before knocking gently on the window. She heard Lena’s heart start and then pound rapidly and heard her ask her driver who it was.

At his response of ‘Supergirl’ the window began to lower, just enough for her to speak into it.

“Miss Lu-Lena,” she said gently. “I’m here… El Mayarah. Remember?”

The response was a long moment coming and she fought the urge to fidget and visibly show her hurt when the window rolled up without a comment.

She heard Lena shuffle around and then take a steadying breath and then the door opened and she slide from the shiny black leather interior.

Pointy black heels came out first, followed by long, slender pale legs and branched into a tight black skirt. She had a green blouse tucked into her skirt with a small black jacket over top and her hair was down. Bangle were on her wrists and she wore a small golden chain around her neck and simple gold earrings at her ears. It screamed wealth, but not too much, and confidence.

She looked ready for war.

Kara wasn’t sure a smile would be appropriate so she just nodded and hoped her eyes would convey how proud she thought Lena was.

“El Mayarah,” Lena ducked her head and then she slid her glasses onto her face and straightened. Her bearing reminded Kara of some royal from times long past; strong, unmoving. As unyielding as time. She wore an emotionless mask with just the hint of arrogance peaking through and with bright green eyes alight with intelligence, she reminded Kara briefly of the statues that stood outside the Military Academy on Krypton. A man and a woman, clearly, ready for war with the same fire burning in them that burned in Lena.

El Mayarah indeed.


	3. Hurt

The start of the trial went… mostly... how Lena expected… to be fair she thought it would run parallel to Lex’s trial. The family and the supporters of what Lex had done lining one side of the courtroom, and the people who wanted to see Lex brought down, as well as the pro-alien, pro-superman, supporters on the other. 

The caped hero himself had attended, features carefully sombre and his testimony had helped throw Lex in jail. The rest of the evidence had been circumstantial and the Luthor lawyers had torn the prosecution apart…. that is until Superman spoke. Opinion had been swayed immediately, like it was wont to do, and Clark Kent had written a scathing article and that had been the final nail in the coffin. And Lex didn’t look entirely remorseful, in fact, his own statement had expressed regret for the lives certainly, but not for his actions. He believed that aliens had no place on earth and he would stand by that.

Lena had spent most of the trial with her jaw tight and her back rigid and with her eyes forward. Her childhood had provided many opportunities for the Luthor teachings, even if she wasn’t blood, she was by name, intelligence, and manner. The few reporters allowed into the courthouse would comment on her icy composure and call her the Heartless Ice Queen. 

Oddly enough, instead of their being a large space around her as though she were something contagious, she sat between Alex Danvers and Supergirl. The Head of the DEO sat next to Agent Danvers, and the other guy was on his other side, occasionally leaning over to say something to him. It occurred to Lena he was discussing the law and the terms used and explaining them to the director.

She kept carefully neutral and didn’t even glance in her mother's direction apart from when she entered and exited. Lillian was cool and composed as she always was, in fact the only time she could recall her mother ever losing her composure was over Lex, and her absolute rage that the had been thrown into prison. She had never been afraid of her mother. Lillian was cold and distant, but she had never been someone to fear…. but after that day the monsters in Lena’s nightmares had a face, her mother's.

She didn't pay much attention to the court proceedings, lost mostly to her thoughts, but she was aware enough to watch her mother as she was escorted from the courtroom by her team of lawyers and to the awaiting press.

“Miss Luthor?” Supergirl whispered to her and she rose to her feet and nodded shortly to the Super before striding from the courtroom.She took a moment outside the doors, hovering beneath their arches, to text her driver and compose herself.

Supergirl was oddly right behind her, a strong, unyielding presence, and she was comforted by her there. Allowing a small internal smile at the thought, she straightened her shoulders and strode from the courthouse, ready to face the press. 

Lillian and her team were already speaking to the press, discussing how everything was going in their favour, as the prosecution had nothing concrete to their case. They were certain the trail should only last a few more days and Lillian would go free.

The press turned to Lena the moment she stepped out and she was sure the presence of the Super behind her made her mother lift her chin. Years of practice had masked Lillian’s face, but Lena had had the same years of searching her mother's eyes for praise, affection, love, to know the flash of hatred there. She lifted her own chin in response as the camera’s went off around her and questions were shouted at her and microphones were shoved in her face. She meet her eyes squarely a moment before striding down the steps and she felt hte hero flanking her.It was an empowering feeling.

Lena’s car pulled up and she strided towards it, ignoring the paparazzi and the questions shouted at her. Her mother and her lawyers were still talking to the press and she cast her mother a final glance before she ducked into the car.

“I’ll, um, see you around, Miss Luthor,” Supergirl said and smiled and shut the door for her. Her own team were getting into their own vehicles and she gave them a nod before soaring into the sky, cameras following her until she blinked from sight. 

It was hours later and Alex and Kara were sitting in Alex’s apartment eating pizza and with the end credits of Pretty Little Liars on the television. Kara had two and a half pieces of her three boxes left and Alex was bravely trying to eat her last piece of her only pizza. To be fair she had had about six hours to eat the seven slices, but she was trying.

“So, “ Alex sighed as she flopped onto her couch with a beer and lazily eyed the last piece of her pizza. “What a day, huh?”

Kara glanced up from the remains of her pizza and blinked over at her sister and then shrugged.

“Cole says that they should have enough evidence to put her away….but a few things surprised him, and the prosecution has their work cut out for them.” Alex said, trying to get Kara to engage with her. She’d been...distant...all night, all afternoon actually, since they had come from the courthouse.

Kara shrugged again and Alex straightened on the couch. “Okay…..what's wrong?”

Kara just sighed and shifted on the couch. But Alex was patient, and used to Kara and how Kara would disappear into her thoughts and memories, likely of her home, but somehow she didn't think this was about Krypton.

“Kara,” she said softly and her sister dropped her pizza onto the box and curled up in the corner with a pillow to her chest. “What’s wrong?”

Her sister just sighed, and that’s when Alex realised it, whatever it was, was weighing her sister down. 

“Kara,” she said gently and lifted her arm over the couch so that Kara could cuddle against her. It took Kara a moment to look at her, to realise what the open arm was offering, and then she was next to her, curling into her and resting her head on her shoulder.

“What’s up?” Alex asked again after a few minutes of silence. While she waited, and Kara relaxed into her arms, she wondered what it could be.

Kara sighed, loudly, and eventually murmured into her shirt, “Lena…”

Alex had thought it would have something to do with the Luthor’s but didn't know it was about the youngest one. “Mh,” She hummed, noncommittally, in reply. Kara had been very defensive of Lena and had hated that she had to investigate her, and had been crushed, when Lena had pushed her away. But the young Luthor had excellent points and Alex understood exactly why she had said what she had said. Kara had done her wrong, and she had to bear the consequences, even if she had been doing it for the right reasons.

Kara exhaled and shifted closer and she was warm, so warm, and Alex felt sleep call her but blinked and curled back into her sister. “She was-she looked like-”, Kara cut herself off and sighed. Alex just patiently ran her fingers through Kara’s hair and waited. Keeping her mouth shut on things on her mind wasn't one of her sisters strong suits.

“Do you think I should call her.. or text her? Just, like, to see how she’s doing?” It clearly wasn’t what Kara had wanted to say, but at least it was something.

Alex’s response was a moment in coming. “I think it would best if you just text her your support and maybe offer to meet her when she’s ready and get lunch or something.”

Kara nodded into Alex’s strong shoulder and she added, “And, maybe, mention you will be there as a friend, not as a reporter. So, off the record. Just to put her at ease.”

“Mh,” Kara hummed. “Okay.” It was nearing midnight buit she fished out her phone and after gazing at Lena’ name a moment, opened their text discussion. 

‘Hey. Hope yr doin ok afta 2day. Im here if u wana tlk as @ friend. Did u wana gt lunch sumtime l8r in the week? ‘

Alex thought it was the funniest thing ever, and actually Lena had found it amusing as well, that she text like a teenage boy back in 07 when you had to click each button multiple times and predictive text wasn't a thing. She just did, okay?

Alex sighed as she saw the time and shifted beneath her and Kara grumbled. “No,” she protested. “You’re comfy.”

Alex grunted in response and tried to shift out from under her, but Kara was very comfortable thank you very much and wasn't making it any easier on her sister. It was like trying to shift a car.

“I’m comfy because you are hard, even if you do give of warmth like a heater,” Alex poked her in the shoulder playfully and Kara responded by sitting up and wrapping Alex in her arms. 

“Nop, you’re not going anywhere!” She said it playfully, but there was an underlying tone of anxiety to it, one of Kara’s biggest fears was people leaving, or being left behind. It was a deeply rooted in her psych and going to school (leaving Eliza and the Danvers home had been a mission) and going to University had been terrifying as well, but Alex had been with her both times, and her sister had borne her clinginess admirably. Age had given her the skills to deal with her abandonment issues, mostly, but she still hated saying goodbye, or leaving, especially with Alex. Her sister was her rock, she kept her firmly on the ground and she didn't know what she’d do if she didn't have her around. The thought of it made her shiver and anxiety curl in her belly.

“Kara,” Alex sighed but relaxed in her hold, after all, she certainly wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. “I have to go to work tomorrow, and so do you,” she pointed out and ignored her sisters very effective pout. “Come on,” she nudged the arms holding her and Kara let out a sigh but let her go.

“Are you gonna stay?”Alex asked as she started to pack up her pizza boxes. “You know,” she said casting a glance at her sister. “My super awesome sister could do this waaaay faster than me,” she said suggestively and Kara flopped on the couch and lay her arm over her eyes dramatically. 

“Can’t. It’s too hard, Alex.”

Alex just sighed and shook her head. “Fattie,” she teased and as rewarded with her sister moving her arm to glare at her.

“Look who's talking, Miss I-just-ate-a-whole-pizza-by-my-self.”

Alex shook her head. “You had three!” She dropped the empty bottles in the recycling after rinsing them.

“Ah ah,” Kara waggeled her finger. “Alien metabolism. Doesn't count!”

“I’m in perfect shape, thank you very much!”Alex shot back and looked down at her food-baby and then winced. “Maybe… I shouldn't have had that last slice,” she considered.

“Ha!” Kara crowed from the couch.

“Oh really, let me see yours then!”

Kara popped up and looked down at her belly and then lifted her shirt to reveal her stomach, as flat and as toned as always. 

Being an alien did have its perks, her body would never allow her to leave its physical parameters of perfection, so she could eat whatever she liked, even taking out her alien-crime-fighting exercise regime, and still remain fit. Alex was insanely jealous she didn't have to work for her abs, but she payed her back by taking her through her paces in the green room. Kara certainly felt her muscles then.

Deciding to help her sister out she zoomed through the room and collected the rest of their boxes, napkins and rubbish and tidied the flat.

“Huh,” Alex sighed as she sipped a glass of water. “I think I’ll keep you. Forever,” she added and Kara beamed at her as she slid to a stop. 

“Are you staying?” Alex enquired again and Kara thought a moment and then shook her head.

“I can sleep in tomorrow-

“-Bitch,” Alex shot.

Kara poked out her tongue in response. “So I’ll just head home.”

“Alright,” Alex held her arms out for a hug and Kara bounced into them like an excited puppy. 

“I love you,” Alex said and squeezed her tight and Kara melted into the embrace, hugging her sister back just as hard, but carefully.

“Love you too,” Kara said. “Forever and ever and ever,” she promised and drew her sisters warmth and strength into her heart.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said as she bounced back across the room to the apartment window. “Bye!”

She eased her way through it and out into the air and a few moments later Supergirl was seen flying through the night sky idly. 

It was a cold night, especially above the clouds, and she’d had to fly through the fluffy and bloated patches of, whatever they were, to get above the city. She loved flying, loved the freedom of it, but she also loved the sounds of the city, its presence which she couldn't feel quite so high in the sky. She dove back down and through the clouds, feeling the uncried rain on her face and clothing but not registering it’s cold. She loved flying, but she loved being surrounded by life even more, she figured it was something to do with being alone for twenty years in space, even if she wasn’t really awake for it, but either way she loved people.

Lost in her thoughts Kara didn’t realised she had floated over the city to L-Corp and as she came back to herself she hesitated and scanned the building for Lena. It was late, very late, but something told her that she should try and see if the CEO was in. Her self destructive tendencies seemed more aimed at working herself to death rather than turning to potentially abusive substances.

She paused as her customary scan of the CEO’s office came up empty and she frowned as she searched a little harder. Lena wasn’t to be seen. Maybe she was at home. Sleeping probably, she had had a long day.

Eyes narrowing she  passed by the building again and strained with her hearing, trying to detect anyone in the building She picked up security guards patrolling, and the sounds of the servers and machinery beeping away, and ..she paused. She could hear loud, angry music and the sound of running water. She flew around, trying to pin-point the sound and couldn't see it, but she could recognise that heart-beat and the stutter and gasp and the sound of someone drowning on their own tears. Lena. 

Her heart fell and she dropped a few feet before she defied gravity once again to hover neutrally near the building.

She hesitated. She wanted to go and see Lena, but knew Kara wasn’t welcome, but, maybe Supergirl could be?

It took a moment, and she was very unhappy the walls of wherever Lena was were lined with lead, but she eventually decided to go to her. She recognised the sounds of someone crying their heart out. 

She floated gently up to the CEO balcony, which, she thought, had been added very recently and she had been surprised and pleased to see it when she visited Lena the second time. There was only a small work table and two chairs with some pot plants in one corner, and a lounger in the other, but it provided a nice and easy landing platform for the hero, and she’d have to mention it to Lena.

As she passed through the doors she was reminded of Lena telling her that ‘that door wasn't really an entrance,’ and felt her lips curl in response. Lena had been uncharacteristically happy to see her, hands moving nervously as she earnestly thanked her for saving her employees, and herself. Lena was odd like that. She was one of the only humans Kara had saved that thanked her for saving everyone else first, as though Lena Luthor was an afterthought.

It made her heart warm and sad in kind. Warm that Lena was soo good and smart and beautiful and strong and kind, but sad that she didn't think she deserved to be grouped with her employees, like because of her last name she should be sacrificed. Kara didn't exactly know how to bring that up, that she would always save her, but she would mention it when the moment was right. Lena needed to know that she was worth it.

The CEO’s office was empty as she let herself in, but she did knock, just to say she had later on, and she hesitated and then followed her ears. The door to the hall was open and she peeked into the corridor and found it empty, which was good. Jess didn't need to be here as well, Kara had had enough of that as Cat’s assistant.

The corridor was mostly dark, lit by the lights of the street and city around it, and the lights along the bottom sprung to life as she walked, movement sensors, smart. They lit her way as she walked and reminded her of an airfield and a plane landing in the dark guided by the runway lights. Not that she needed lights, but still.

The sobbing and music and water grew louder and she followed the noise to the end of the corridor where there was a partially open door and she knocked gently and opened it a squidge to see if she could see anyone. 

Oh, it looked like a private room. There was a couch, which could probably make do as a large bed, a rug, coffee table, television. There was a small kitchen and a mini bar, a fridge and two doors leading off it. She hesitated a moment and opened the door closer to her.

There was no one in here, but it was a well-used personal gym. There was a music player in the corner with a rack of towels next to it, on the wall in cubby holes there were various weights and exercise gear. Hanging from hooks were ropes and other gear Kara didn't know the name of. There was a rolled up exercise mat up off the floor on the opposite side and mirrors lined three-quarters of the room. There was a large cooling fan and a treadmill pushed to the corner, with one of those arm pull things, a leg weight thing, a cross trainer and a bike.

In the center there was a hook hanging from the ceiling and it had a punching bag gently swaying on it. Kara could almost feel the use this room got.

A strangled sound came from the room next door and Kara pulled her attention from the room and wandered back into the main room. The other door was closed as well, but she could hear Lena in there and knocked strongly on the door.

She heart Lena’s heart beat stammer and flick and accelerate.And the loud, angry music she was playing halted.

“Miss Luthor? It’s Supergirl….”

She did not press open the door or knock again, she just listened to Lena as she shifted where-ever she was and her heart gradually faded back to normal.

“Um, you don’t have to come out or like, talk to me or anything, I just…. I just wanted to make sure you were okay….”

She really wanted to go in, but closed doors were an obvious sign, so she stayed outside and instead sat against the door.

Lena was still crying, she could hear the stammers to her breaths, and could taste the salt in the air, as well as...blood.

She straightened. “Miss Luthor, are you alright? I smell blood-”

She cut herself off abruptly because, wow, that was, um, creepy-ish, Yup, creepy. 

Still, it got Lena to respond.

“I’m fine,” she croaked out. “I just… cut myself shaving..”

Kara’s heart went out to her, but she still caught the lie. “Nice try, Miss Luther.”

Lena choked on her laugh. “Really, Supergirl, I am fine. Can you go, please?”

Kara hesitated and shook her head, and then realised Lena couldn't see it. “I will…. when I’m sure you are safe…. even from yourself.”

There was silence after her addition and she wondered if she had over-stepped. She heard Lena get up, stumble a little, gasp sharply, and then roar to the door. Superspeed meant Kara was falling out of the way before she fell through the open door, but she still ended up on the floor blinking up at the irate Luthor.

“How dare-” the Luthor began, voice a venomous hiss. Her hair was wild around her shoulders and  neck, sticking to her skin in places and there was a stray curl above her forehead. The tight exercise singlet was damp with sweat and Kara could see it glistening on her pale skin, and she was wearing tight black under armour pants and black and blue ADIDAS trainers. There was a hair tie around her wrists but her hands were trembling. Her wrists were red and raw and bruising, bloody even, and it looked like she had beaten an unmoving surface until they were numb. Her eyes were red from crying, mascara smudged around her eyes like a raccoon, and the green of them was glinting. She was beautiful.

Kara rose quickly to her feet and gently took the Luthor’s hands in her own, ignoring Lena’s flinch. Her presence and care seemed to have thrown Lena off.

“I get it,” she said quickly and gently lifted Lena’s shaking hands so she could examine them better. “I do. But you don’t need to punish yourself for the actions of others, or for your feelings.”

Lena blinked but didn't make any move to pull her hands back, and Kara gently traced the shaking contours of her knuckles with the pad of her fingers. 

“You are not to blame for the actions of other,” Kara said firmly, looking down into Lena’s eyes. And she hadn't realised just how small the other woman was. Her raw presence gave her height, as did her usual killer heels, but now, out of her clothes and sweaty and worn from exercise and crying, she seemed human; fragile and vulnerable.

Kara wanted to hold her, protect her in the harbour of her arms and never let her go. She wanted to keep her safe and untouched from the stormy seas outside her arms.

“I didn’t- I don’t,” Lena began and tears were in her eyes again as she looked at her bloody hands, and it was like she was only starting to now feel the physical pain.

“Ow,” she breathed weakly and Kara took a step forward to reassure her that she was here if Lena needed her.

“I didn’t...realise,” she said and her breathing hitched, perhaps from the pain. “I just kept hitting the bag…”

“It’s okay,” Kara said soothingly and gently tugged on Lena’s wrists. “Come on,” she instructed and guided Lena over to the couch and sat her down.

She whizzed through the fridge/freezer and found an ice pack and wrapped it in a tea towel before appearing next to Lena and offering it quietly.

“You didn't break anything… just bruised. Badly,” Kara added as Lena took the ice pack and tried to straighten her fingers.

Kara didn't miss her wince. Lena looked between the two hands as though deciding which one was more important.

“Here,” Kara said and gently lifted Lena’s other hand up to her lips, and keeping her eyes on Lena’s, she blew gently on the bruised flesh.

Lena’s eyes fluttered as the cool power of her breath gently soothed the bruising and swelling and settled back onto the couch. She adjusted the ice pack for her other hand and they sat there for long minutes in silence.

“Could smell the blood, huh?” Lena asked after what seemed like forever held in silence.

Kara coughed awkwardly, and ran her fingers through her hair, as her glasses were currently in a bag behind a dumpster somewhere

“Um, yeah…”

“Guess I was wrong about you,” Lena said and Kara cast her a glance from under her lashes. Lena was resting against the pillows with her eyes closed, her right hand on her lap under the ice-pack and her left still in Kara’s.

Green eyes flickered open and cast her an appraising glance. “I had you pegged as a Lab, not a Bloodhound.”

“Hey!” Kara was fairly certain she was pouting, rather offended, but Lena’s lips curled into a smile as she closed her eyes and settled back on the couch with a sigh.

It wasn't that funny, but Kara could see Lena start to shake with laughter.

“It’s not funny,” she protested, certain it fell short.

Lena’s laugh caught at the back of her throat and Kara felt her own relieved laughter bubble up and soon she was giggling. Lena let out a laugh and giggled softly.

“Do you fetch and sit when told?” She asked teasingly and Kara pouted, or tried to, but she was certain she’d just fallen under the spell of Lena’s laugh.

“Hey!” She protested through her giggles. “I’m not a dog!”

“Are you sure,” Lena had a playful, teasing edge to her voice and Kara wanted it to stay. “You're giving me puppy-eyes right now!”

Kara’s pout deepened but then she grinned again, Lena’s laugh was ...something, and made her want to fly.

Eventually their giggles subsided.

“When you came to my office,” Lena began, abruptly breaking their easy silence. “You said you knew what it was like to be disillusioned by your parents…. what did that mean?”

Ah. This was the part of the conversation she wasn’t all that interested in sharing, but… Lena was perhaps the only one who could understand it.

“The...Medusa Virus…” she began hesitantly. “My...father on Krypton...he, ah, he,” she swallowed and the hand in hers curled around her fingers and she blinked at their joined hands surprised. 

“He- he designed it…” She took a steadying breath and looked to Lena’s eyes and saw no judgement, just raw understanding. “It was for Krypton’s defense…. that’s why it wouldn't have harmed me, just everyone else… it was designed to kill any other foreign life-forms on Krypton…”

She swallowed and looked away from Lena’s bright green eyes, so like Kryptonite, and  with the capability to make her as vulnerable.  “He made a weapons to kill, and to kill on a massive scale….my dad did.”

“Supergirl,” Lena said softly and Kara was drawn back to her eyes like they were magnetic. “I’m sorry.” Lena squeezed her hand, even though it made her jaw tighten with pain and Kara realised that that was all Lena had to say. She new exactly the way Kara was feeling, after all, both her brother and her mother were genocidal maniacs, even if they had thought they were doing the right thing.

“It doesn't mean I don’t love him, or my mother, or aunt, but…”

“But you find it hard to associate the people they are with who you thought they were?” Lena asked and there was a touch of bitterness to her tone and Kara was struck with just how similar the situation they were in was to each other.

“Yeah,” she breathed. “Exactly.”

They faded into silence again, and Kara didn't want to pull her hand away incase Lena realised they were holding hands and it became awkward, but didn’t want to move it. She was comfortable next to Lena and holding her hand on the couch.

Lena had fallen asleep at an awkward angle, her hand still in Kara’s, when Kara;’s phone vibrated and she checked it. It was the DEO. Sighing she reluctantly pulled her hand from Lena’s and rose to her feet. Lena was still in her exercise gear, with her hair spread out over the back of the couch and with her shoes on. Kara quickly took her shoes off and lifted her legs onto the couch and guided her down it to rest easily on the cushions and not the arm. Lena curled into the warmth Kara had left and the move made a smile curl at Kara’s lips and her chest went all warm and floaty.

She hesitated and zoomed through the small private rooms in search of a blanket or even a duvet but came up empty. She could go and get Lena a blanket from her place, maybe. Her phone went off again and she glanced to see it was an update of the situation- a car-chase through the industrial area heading towards the populated areas- and knew she didn't really have the time.

She was part way to the door when a thought occurred to her and she strode back to Lena and unclasped her cape. Kal’s baby blanket should work, it was, after all, a blanket.

She gently laid it over Lena and smiled when the exhausted CEO clutched it tight and curled into it.

“El Mayarah, Lena,” she whispered as she returned to the door and cast a final, parting glance at the sleeping Luthor. “El Mayarah.”


	4. Strength

Kara was very aware of the curious looks she was receiving as she stood in line to one of the small local bakeries Yelp told her had the best custard swirls in National City.

She smiled at the people who met her eye and took another step forward in the line. She knew the cashier’s had seen her and knew who she was, by the glances they were casting her, and she waited patiently for her turn.

One girl, who had a Supergirl backpack on her shoulders, was tugging on her mother's jacket with wide eyes and Kara smiled over at her. She tilted her head and gave her a little wave, ‘hi’ she mouthed and the girl almost squealed with joy.

Kara turned back to the line as the girl told her mother Supergirl had smiled at her. Her joy made a warmth settle in her chest and it as golden and warm like the sun and she checked her cell to see if Alex had replied yet. The text came through while she was second in line and she flicked off a reply before looking over the assorted pastries and breads and treats. Her mouth watered.

“Hi,” she smiled brightly as she stepped up to the counter and could hear the nervous thumping heart of the cashier. “I’ll have... six of those pastries, three of those raisin things, five,” she checked her text message again, “five of those custard twirls. Um, six of those,” she pointed at the cinnamon rolls. “Roll. I also need, four black coffees, one chai latte, a peppermint tea, and...three of those slice thingies..” The cashier was watching her unblinking.

“Ooh! And those bun things, they look nice!” She smiled sweetly and one of the other servers had to nudge the cashier to get him to move.

“And, um, four of those crème brulee donuts, two of those cream ones, and one of the banana toffee ones.”

Kara waited a moment before shifting her head slightly and felt her smile shifting slightly.

The second cashier pushed the other one out of the way and took a steadying breath. “Sorry, Miss..Super..girl. Could you repeat that, please?”

Kara smiled at her and then ran through her list of orders again, slower this time, and watched as the cashier from before, and the one serving her now, worked their way through her order. The other customers were content to just look at her, which was really weird of them, but she was used to it.

“Um, Supergirl?” The voice to her left caught her attention and she glanced down to see the girl from before with a glittery pen and a pad offering it to her. “Mummy said I could ask you for your atautomonograph? Alutograph? Um, “ her brow furrowed in concentration and she looked back to her mother for help.

“Autograph?” Kara asked and bent down to the girls level and saw her bright eyes as she nodded eagerly. “Okay. What’s your name?”

“Casey,” she squeaked and Kara took her pen and paper and scribbled a generic heartfelt message, one about being true to yourself and believing in you, with love, Supergirl.

Casey was probably to young to understand and read it now, but she would have it as she grew up and maybe it would inspire her.

“Where’s your sweatshirt?” Casey asked and her curls fell over her face adorably as she tilted her head.

“My sweatshirt?”

“Yeah. my dad gives me his red one when I pretend I am you,” she said eagerly and Kara felt her heart melt.

“Oh! You mean my cape?” She  tapped her shoulders and Casey nodded, clutching her pen and note to her chest like it were a cuddly toy.

“I leant it to a friend,” Kara said and leant forward and winked at her. “Don’t tell anyone.”

Casey shook her head, eyes wide and earnest. ”Why’d you do that?”

Kara tilted her head a little as she thought of how to explain without giving too much away and so that Casey could understand.

“My friend was having a bad day, so I gave her my cape..”

Casey's eyes went wide. “My daddy gives me his jacket when I’m cold!” She twisted her body nervously, suddenly shy. It’s warm and cuddly. Is that why you gave it to your friend?”

Kara was smiling at the sweet innocence in front of her. “Yes,” she said softly. “I wanted her to feel safe. Like you do when your dad gives you his sweatshirt. Warm and cuddly.”

“Oh,” Casey thought for a moment. “Was she scared?”

Kara thought for a second and then nodded slowly. “I think she was sad.” Sad didn't really describe the full amount of emotions Lena was feeling, but sad would work on a child.

“Did you give her a hug? Mummy and Daddy always give me hugs and kisses when I’m sad.”

Kara glanced over the girl's shoulder to see her mother had tears in her eyes and many of the customers were watching in awe, a few had their phones out, but that was okay.

“I didn’t”, Kara shook her head softly and Casey was suddenly angry, the anger of a kitten before a ball of yarn.

“Why not! She needed a hug!” She protested, and even stamped a little foot and Kara fought the urge to smile at her in case she thought she was laughing at her.

“I didn't think of it,” Kara said truthfully and saw her orders were being placed in bags and her drinks were in drink holders.

“You have to give her a hug. “ Casey said sternly and Kara had to bite her lip to stop her smile at being scolded by a five year-old.

“Okay,” Kara nodded agreeably. “I will.”

“Promise?” Casey demanded and Kara held out her pinky.

“Pinky promise.”

Casey beamed and curled her little finger around Kara’s.

“Tell you what!” Kara said and smiled at her. “Maybe you can help me?”

Casey’s hair bounced up and down with the force of her nod. “Yeah!”

“Maybe you can give me a hug that I can give her?” Kara asked and was thankful for her super strength, otherwise she may have tumbled over from the force of Casey’s hug.

She had to place her phone on the floor to hug Casey properly and then she had an idea.

“Did you want to give her a message?” Kara asked curiously, glancing to her mother for permission. Casey's mum nodded, eyes bright and with her phone out.

“Okay!” Casey’s heart was obvious as she nodded eagerly and Kara lifted her phone, unlocking it and turning the video on.

“Alright, I’m pressing record. Are you ready?” Casey spun until she was standing next to Kara, with her little arms around the hero. She nodded, determination entering her bright eyes.

“Okay. Go!”

“HI SUPERGIRL’S FRIEND! I’M CASEY! I AM GIVING YOU A HUG!” She held tighter to Kara to prove her point. “THERE! YOU GOT YOUR HUG! HOPE YOU FEEL HAPPIER! BYE!” She waved her hand enthusiastically goodbye and Kara waved a little as well before ending the video.

Kara made sure the video saved and then tucked it away, into the little pouch in her boot.

“I want you to do something for me, Casey, can you do it?” She asked seriously of the girl and she nodded, squaring her shoulders.

Kara pointed to her chest. “I want you to follow your heart,” she said quietly. “Because it is beautiful and pure and full of love and it’s so bright.” Kara smiled at her and then tilted her head to the side. “Don't forget that, okay? You are a light. Follow it.”

Casey nodded enthusiastically but she probably didn't understand the full message, but she would when she got older, and her mother, who was crying openly now, would share it with her and tell her what Supergirl had meant.

“Can I have a hug?”

Casey launched herself back at Kara and she gave her a firm hug. “El Mayarah, Casey.” She rose fluidly to her feet and walked to the counter and asked for the total.

An elderly woman with flour over her apron and her greying hair in a hair net shook her head.

“No charge, Supergirl.”

Kara faltered and rallied. “Thank you, but I’d really like to pay for it.”

The woman smiled, and her eyes were glassy. “You already have.” She glanced around the store over Kara’s shoulders. “You just did. Please, Supergirl. Accept this as a thank you.”

Kara hesitated and cast a glance around her and then looked back to the elderly woman’s eyes. She nodded once, sharply, and smiled at her.

“Thank you, I -you didn't have-”

“Thank you, Supergirl. You don’t have to either,” she held out one of many bags and Kara put her card back into the compartment on her other boot.

“Thank you. Really,” she said as she pulled the bags onto her arms and moved to adjust the cardboard containers and then realised it would be pointless.

“Um, do you maybe have a spare box?”

Her first cashier was quick to fetch one and he helped her put her drinks in the box.

“Thanks,” she smiled at him and his heart somersaulted.

“Have a nice day!” She said and then she was gone, out the door and into the sky with her drink and coffee orders for the Agents at the DEO. Some would probably miss out, Alex had only asked the ones she’d been near when Lara had offered, so maybe she’d do something for them at another time.

She dropped off her order at the door and then soared back into the air and towards L-Corp. She had kept an ear out for Lena’s assistant Jess and knew the moment she arrived and she wanted to catch her before she settled in for the day.

She bolted through the air and landed just as Jess was checking through the front door security.

“Jess!” She called and was aware of how this looked. Supergirl halting Lena Luthor’s assistant in the middle of her lobby. The press outside were already speculating.

Jess frowned at her confused but halted and waited for Kara to jog over to her.

“Supergirl,” her brow was furrowed and she glanced around them at the halted employees who were looking on curiously. “Can I help you?”

“Yes,” Kara said and took her arm and started to guide her back towards the door. “Can you call Miss Luthor’s driver around?”

“Supergirl?” Jess was very confused and she pulled her arm from Kara’s hold and dug her heels in. “What’s going on?”

Kara glanced around to check they were far enough away from everyone and then leant forward.

“Lena’s upstairs in her private rooms? Whatever she calls those?” Kara shrugged. “Can you go to her place and get her a change of clothes?”

Jess was frowning now. “She has a spare set in her wardrobe there,” Jess shrugged but then she looked worried. “Did she not leave last night? Is she alright?”

Kara nodded. “I think she, um, needed to rest… um, also, is there a Doctor here? At L-Corp?”

Jess’ eyes widened and she looked back at the elevator and took a few steps towards it before Kara could catch her.

“Talk!” She demanded under her breath and strode towards the elevator and Kara had no choice but to follow. “Why does she need a doctor?”

“Um,”Kara fought the urge to fiddle with non-existent glasses and shrugged. “She um, had a disagreement with a wall? Or something…” The guards didn't even check Jess through security and made no move to halt the hero so they rode the elevator to the top floor in awkward silence.

Jess stopped to place her bag on her desk and then was striding purposefully down the corridor towards Lena’s private rooms and keyed in her code after swiping her ID through the door. Kara had taken the time to close the doors behind her, not wanting anyone to chance upon the vulnerable Luthor.

Lena was where she had left her, curled into the couch with Kal El’s blanket over her. Her long, dark hair was spread over one of the pillows Kara had placed under her head and her eyes were shut. She looked so soft, small, vulnerable. But as she curled her hand under the cushion Kara saw the dark bruising on her knuckles and re-evaluated. Lena was still soft, but she was iron as well, steel even, on the inside where high walls guarded her warm, kind, and gentle heart.

Jiss inhaled sharply at seeing the angry dark, red marks still visible on Lena’s hands and the deep purple bruising beneath her knuckles.

“Nothing’s broken, just badly bruised,” Kara said quietly.

“Did she get some ice on it?” Jess asked and Kara nodded, deciding it was best not to mention that she had held Lena’s hand and had breathed ice breath on it.

“Okay,” Jess sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. “Okay. I’ll move her meetings, cancel a few and make sure she isn't bothered… thank you.” She turned to the hero and nodded, eyes earnest. “No, really, thank you. Not many people care about Miss Luthor, not many people she lets in…. so thank you… for being in her corner.”

Kara felt her heart sink, she already knew that, but didn’t need reminding of her betrayal.

“Of course, she’s a good person,” she said quietly and knew Jess had realised that Lena had her cape over her when she saw her walk over and gently take it back. While she wanted Lena to have it for as long as she needed, she did kinda need it to fly. Going without it for the few hours she had had been… challenging.

She clipped it back into place, cast Lena another glance and then smiled at Jess as she walked away. “Thank you, Jess,” she called and used Lena’s balcony as her launch pad. She had a day job to get to.

~O~

“Okay… let me get this straight, “M’Gann said as she wiped down the bar table. “You want me,” she pointed to herself, “to convince some friends to show up today at the Luthor trial as our alien selves?” Her voice adequately conveyed her disbelief and disapproval of the request. Kara nodded earnestly.

“Yes, you don't have to stay long or even stay, just-”

“Stay? What do you mean, stay?!” The bartender's voice rose to a squeak. “We can’t stay out like, well, like we are!” She said and gestured to her torso and head; looking very human for the moment.

“You have it easy! You look like humans do!”

Kara nodded in agreement of the protest, but then leant over the bar, voice lowered and serious.

“She saved your life, M’Gann,” she said quietly, voice serious and all traces of her usual sunny demeanour gone. “She saved the lives of every Alien in National City, and probably the world- if the Virus worked well enough here. Every. Single. one.”

The Martian sighed and leant her hands on her bar. “I know,” she said quietly. “I know.”

“Not one person has thanked her,” Kara said harshly and then bit back her tone at her next words, perhaps feeling it wouldn't go over well. “Not one, M’Gann. Not one.”

Kara leant over the bar, face to face with the White Martian. “She risked her life, her business, she ruined whatever was left of her relationship with her family to save every one of you… and not one has thanked her.”

“If you’re looking for thanks, Kara, maybe you should use your day job and tell the world what she did.”

Kara shook her head and adjusted her messenger bag. “I can’t. Kara Danvers doesn't know about any of that… it’s too risky.”

M’Gann snorted and tossed the bar towel over her shoulder. “Of course. Too risky. For you,” she said bitterly and Kara sighed.

“That’s not what I-”

“I know what you meant, Supergirl,” M’Gann nodded and leant over the bar and Kara glanced around her and then straightened.

“Fine,” she drew her Hero persona and cast it over her shoulders like her cape. “I only risk my name and identity becoming public, and those of my friends and family. What have you got to lose?”

“My life,” M’Gann shot back. “The humans don’t love the aliens like me, can’t love the aliens like me. You and your cousin look like them, attractive and white. They think that they could be you, but us,” she gestured around the bar, voice raising. “We stick to the shadows because we can't fit in. We are the ones they are afraid of. So you ask me what I have to lose by showing up to a _Luthor_ Trial,” she said, voice cracking, maybe with rage. “Then you clearly don’t understand. I could lose my life, or be forced to hurt them as I spend the rest of my life running.”

Kara did, in a way, understand, but she was sick of how the media was portraying Lena, and tired of how the fire in her eyes seemed forced, and how the weight on her shoulders seemed to double each day. Kara Danvers and Supergirl had their hands tied, they couldn't defend Lena, and she wasn’t doing it for herself, she never would, so maybe the aliens she saved could.

“You say you could lose your life,” Kara leant back and slid off the stool. “But you wouldn’t even have that if it weren't for Lena.” She left M’Gann with her words to mull over and quickly made her way through the bar. Supergirl was expected at the rally again, and, she really wanted to be there for Lena.

The trial had gone over three days now, this was the fourth, and it was the second of the week, with a break being had over the weekend. Lena had not attended the second day of trial, claiming business matters, but she had been there on Monday and would be there today. Kara had taken her food on Saturday as she had seen the lights on in the CEO office and had heard Lena’s stomach grumbling as she flew past.

The Luthor had been very surprised to see her, and also, Kara had thought, charmed by the pizza box she had brought. Lena had been a Lady about eating it, but she’d nearly devoured half a box and fell upon it like a ravenous wolf. Still, there had been no cheese on her chin, or sauce around her bright red lips. Kara had stayed while Lena did some work, and then when duty called had left, her final words urging Lena to sleep.

She was sleeping at the office now, maybe not wanting to go home to her lonely and empty apartment, so Kara had asked her to go to bed when she left. The lights had still been on an hour later when she had flown past, and she had scolded the brunette the next night when she showed up with a Caesar salad from Giovanni's (Lena’s favourite restaurant) and some water. Jess had given her the address and order when she (Supergirl) had asked.

Jess must have thought something was going on between her boss and the hero, but she hadn't said a word of it, to anyone as far as Kara knew.

Lena hasn't said much, as they  (mostly Lena as Kara had eaten prior) ate together, but Kara could see the weight of the comments and scorn and vitriol being spat at her and her name was causing. She also had to deal with investors pulling from L-Corp and the stock prices plummeting. Supergirl had asked her if she could do an interview, and tell the world what she had done, but Lena had sniggered and shot that idea down. (I didn't do it for the publicity, Supergirl, and I won’t do it for it. Not like this, not now, not ever.) It had made Kara’s heart swell with just how brave her friend was, and was being, but didn't help that her pride refused to allow her to bow to the public and admit, and go public, on what she did.

So… Kara had taken it upon herself to at least try to ease the burden Lena was facing. She had asked M’Gann, if she and a few of her alien friends, could show up to the courthouse in support of Lena, or just thank her. In public. In front of the media. Preferably telling them, loudly, how grateful they were for her, Lena Luthor saving their, very alien,  lives. It wasn’t _that_ much of an ask, she had thought, but she wouldn't make M’Gann and her friends do it. She did understand the risks, even if they didn't think she did.

She arrived before Lena did, and even before Lillian did, and spent half an hour standing on a nearby building watching and listening. The crowd seemed to grow with each day the trail went on, and though there had been no more violence since the first day, it looked to be heading that way soon.

Lillian was escorted into the courthouse from the back, and a few minutes later Lena’s sleek black car pulled up to the curb.

As Lena got out there was a disturbance in the crowd and Kara straightened, staring in surprise and a little apprehension as the human’s parted to make way for a large group of alien aliens.

“Luthor!” One of them called out, a tall and lava looking one, scaled on it’s face like a lizard but with red spikes down its neck, vanishing into a black jacket. She was a Morverliath, a species of alien in the fourth quadrant to the north east of Krypton. They were a very honourable race, never lying and keeping their word. Breaking it was seen as the highest of sins and the breaker would be beaten to death lynch mob style. They were a respected race, known for their knowledge and wisdom, and craved learning in all its forms. They were one of the most knowledgeable species in the galaxy, and many sought them for their knowledge, which they guarded like a dragon and its gold.

Lena halted on the steps and her chin came up, but she let them approach. The humans were watching wearily and there was silence from the crowd, and the press were watching with wide eyes. The human police forces had their guns ready for anything and Kara could see Maggie looking confused as she moved to the front of the line, ready to stand between them, and either the guns, or Lena.

Kara launched herself into the air and landed lightly next to Lena, keeping the CEO slightly behind her as a warning to the others. She placed her hands on her hips and showed them her crest. M’Gann emerged from the group, morphing into her full, imposing size and the crowd took a step back.

“M’Gann?” Kara asked confused.

“Supergirl,” Lena said casting her a glance in greeting and then looked back to the approaching mob of aliens. To her credit she did not flinch or waver, she just watched as the very dangerous looking alien’s approached.

“Miss Luthor,” Kara ducked her head in greeting but then turned her eyes on the approaching horde, which looked like it was getting bigger and bigger.

“Care to introduce me to your… friends?”

“Not all aliens know each other, Luthor,” M’Gann rumbled and Lena glanced up into her face.

“Well… you have me at a disadvantage… you know my name but I don’t know yours.”

The Morverliath bared her teeth. “I am sure we have you at many disadvantages.”

“Manners clearly being one!” Lena snapped back, eyes blazing, and Kara shifted next to her. One of the things the Morverliathain’s hated was disrespect.

The alien growled, a low rumble in her chest and Lena’s heart tripped but she kept her cool façade. Maggie was jogging across the pavement now and she looked worried. Kara was as tense as a spring, ready to launch herself into a fight she would be heavily outmatched in, especially as J’onn wasn’t here, and she would be very out numbered. The press were leaning against the barrier, trying to get a good angle for what looked like a grudge match, or the death of Lena Luthor.

Suddenly the Morverliathain laughed, it sounded like a mini avalanche. “I like your pet, Kryptonian. She has fire.”

“So glad to have amused you,” Lena shot back and took a step forward. “And that’s coming from the actual rock. You know human children have pet rocks.” There was a sneer curling her lips and fire in her emerald eyes.

Kara paled and took a step to match Lena and placed her hand on her arm. Lena shook her off and glared up at the alien.

To her surprise the alien laughed again and took a step forward, bringing her hands up and cradling Lena’s head before Kara could even move.

The responding cocking of guns made a lot of the crowd scream and fall back but Kara quickly shot in front of the Morverliathain. “Wait! Don’t shoot!” She held her hands out and then spun back to see Lena’s body going limp and her eyes closing as she was held. It looked like she were a puppet on a string, body totally relaxed and suspended from where she was being held.

The police force took a few steps forward, but the other aliens shifted to stand between the guns and the Morverliathain.

“Stand down! Kara shouted, drawing herself forward. “Hold your fire!”

She could see the hesitation in the police commander's eyes, and the other officers had their guns up ready and braced for recoil.

“Do not shoot!” She shouted again, hoping she was channelling J’onn’s commanding presence.

The officer-in-charge meet her eyes a moment and slowly lowered his gun. She heard his order and the lowering of weapons but turned back to look at Lena and the Morverliathain.

The alien had  leant its head forward until it was touching Lena’s, and then some sort of rainbow haze rushed from her head and into Lena’s body. It set Lena’s skin alight like she were bathed in fire and gold and sunrise ,and ribbons of it moved across her skin like gold aurora borealis.

After what seemed like forever the Morverliathain  stepped back and said something, Kara wasn’t sure, she didn’t speak that language, to Lena and then vanished, like actually vanished. Teleportation or something.

Kara had to catch Lena before she fell and the brunette's body was limp in her arms.  Maggie holstered her gun and ran over, crouching on the other side of Lena concernedly.

M’Gann took a step forward and Kara looked up at her towering form a moment but was more concerned with the limp woman in her arms.

“Thank you, Luthor, for saving my life,” she said and then she rose into the sky and soared away.

Cameras were clicking like crazy and the crowd was murmuring  at this new development and there was a screeching of tires and a black DEO van emerged from the police barricade.

Lena’s eyes were blank and unseeing but Kara had heard of what the Morverliathain had done and knew it was a great honour, the highest, in fact, that the race could bestow on an outsider.

Alex, J’onn and Dr Welks leapt from the vehicle and ran towards Kara, Lena and Maggie and the aliens shifted wearily at their presence but waited.

“Can we thank her?” Asked one, a blue, round-headed one.

Kara hesitated and glanced down into Lena’s vacant eyes as they slowly blinked into life and she tensed in Kara’s arms.

“Hey… Miss Luthor…”

Lena grunted as she shifted and Kara helped her feet after seeing her trying to and hovered nervously at her elbow.

“She should not be standing up,” warned their Dr, but Lena didn't appear to be coherent enough to understand and Kara did not want to be caught manhandling the Luthor on camera.

Lena still seemed rather lost and shook her head as though to rid herself of a stray leaf in her hair. The movement, though minor, made her stumble and Kara pressed in, hands returning to her arm in support.

“Miss Luthor. I really think you should sit down.”

“Supergirl, what happened?” Alex asked. “What did the alien do?”

“A Morverliathain Blessing…” J’onn said in awe. “That’s.. that’s incredible!”

“A mover um, blessing? What the hell is that?” Maggie demanded and Alex looked at her sharply.

“It’s the highest honour a Morverliathain  can give to any non Morverliathain,” said the blue alien. “She must have liked you,” she directed to Lena. “Thank you for saving my life, Miss Luthor.” She ducked her head and then walked back away from the gathered humans and small group of aliens.

One by one, or in groups, each of the gathered aliens thanked Lena for saving their lives and then left. Kara wasn't sure what Lena was receiving, she seemed very out of it, and she knew that the Morverliathain  had likely given her knowledge and her brain was trying to process it.

The final group left and Lena stood on unsteady legs and Kara hovered, ready to catch her, and she fumbled for her ear and shook her head again.

The tips of her fingers came away wet with blood and she looked at them a moment, blinked harshly and then tottered and fell. Kara caught her quickly and held her close and looked up a J’onn, wondering what she ought to do.

“DEO, now! He thundered and Kara shot into the sky leaving a small crater behind her and she heard the director yelling orders into his mouthpiece as she soared towards the DEO.

The crowd and media were also buzzing like bees but she ignored them as she carried Lena through the air, bridal style, the media would later note, and some fan-girls of Lena started ‘shipping’ the two of them. Social media became a bit of a storm and she absolutely did not need to read any of that kind of fanfiction about her and Lena. She also didn't read any of the fluffy pieces which made her incredibly nervous but also want that for herself, even if it wasn’t with Lena. And, honestly internet, she did not live in a cave, or in a mountain, or even in a hotel. She had a relatively decent apartment in a modest part of town and a job she loved, she was not some multi-billionaire playgirl. If they wanted that, she should point them in Bruce Wayne’s direction.

A medical team were already assembling in the med bay when she arrived and she bolted through the cold corridors with Lena unresponsive in her arms.

She didn't particularly like the med-bay, she didn't like how it smelt, sterile and clean, and unnatural, and it was.. dull. Sure there were white walls and things but there was no character to it, it was very impersonal.

She also didn't like how Lena’s features matched the walls as she lay her on the bed and doctors swarmed around her. The head doctor, a matronly woman whom Kara had a good six inches of height on, ordered her from the room and she fled- Dr Linch was not a woman to be disobeyed. She waited outside, leaning against the wall and looking through it to see what was going on.

Lena would be okay; she had to be. She believed. El Mayarah.


	5. Idea

A knock at the glass on her balcony door lifted her gaze and she felt a smile rise unbidden to her lips as she saw the beaming Superhero outside her office. Supergirl was waving happily at her, eager like a toddler, and she held a take-out bag in her other hand, the brown paper darkened with grease stains.

Lena gestured for the Super to enter and lifted a brow. “God! I hope that’s deep fried and smothered in chocolate,” she said and Supergirl blinked, her grin faltering, and then held up her index finger in a just-a-moment gesture. She vanished from the doorway and Lena chuckled under her breath as she went back to work, knowing the blonde defender would return with said request, even though it had been made in partial jest.

It had been six weeks since she had been ‘blessed’ and a month since she returned to work and she had caught up on her work quickly and had already made a few minor alterations to some of their tech designs. Nothing too big mind, but just enough that the difference would be noticeable.

With help from the DEO, and her own impressive intellect, she had determined that the Morverliathain had given her the greatest gift she could ever dream to ask for; Knowledge. But not just any knowledge, no, she had given her her entire collection of knowledge of Krypton. Everything from the grass, or the Krypton equivalent, to the slang and dialects, to the social norms and even technology.

Bar her biology Lena Luthor was now the most foremost expert on Krypton and its people and customs on the planet, and indeed, the entire Galaxy, bar the Morverliathain’s. She was second only to Supergirl in terms of understanding what the culture meant, and was light-years ahead of Superman.

The forced acquiry of knowledge had overloaded her brain at first, and she had found it difficult to compartmentalise all of the information she had acquired but learnt from J’onn, who was a Green Martian, that the information was now a part of her and would remain in the background and only arise when needed. It was sort of like a Google search, the DEO Director had explained. Only when she needed the information would she remember it, but she would remember it instantly and all information pertinent to what she needed it for.

She had accidently slipped into Kryptonese when Supergirl had come to see how she was doing after she had woken up and the doctors had checked her over. The look of surprise and then wonder on the blonde’s face had been a religious experience and her joy, as she had halting responded with the customary greeting, had been a revelation. She figured it was from not being able to share her language with anyone, not truly. No doubt she had tried to teach her baby cousin Kal El when she had arrived, but it wouldn't be the same.

Lena understood the way her mouth need to curl around the vowels, and roll the r’s and the little nuances that changed the meaning. It wasn’t something that could be taught, at least not like Supergirl had taught Kal. Lena knew everything there was to know about speaking the language and Supergirl had glowed with it and had started to ramble excitedly in her own tongue, joy obvious.

Lena had enjoyed speaking with the hero and had basked in her delight and had responded, even accidently keeping speaking it when J’onn came to ask her how she was feeling. He had been astounded by the gift she had received and wanted to discuss what it was with her. She just told him, realising he couldn't speak Kryptonese like she and Supergirl, that she knew everything there was to know about Krypton, or at least everything that the Morverliathain’s had learnt, which was a lot.

J’onn told her they collected knowledge and would sometimes exchange it for more, or for favours. Evidently she had earned one. What one Morverliathain knew, the rest of the species knew, he told her, and informed her that the rest of the species would know of what she had done, and what the Morverliathain had given her for her selflessness. It was an honour, the highest any non-Morverliathain could be blessed with. Lena had to agree.

The things that she knew now… it was extraordinary and she was itching to put her new-found knowledge to use. But she knew she had to be careful.

Agent Danvers, J’onn, and Supergirl had warned her of the danger Krypton’s weaponry could have here on Earth, not that she would, Supergirl had said, eyes wide and earnest, but she just needed to be careful. She was very interested in the Medusa Virus and the medicinal uses a virus designed to target specific genetic code could do. She was also very interested in other improvements that Kryptonian technology could make for the lives of Earth. But still, she was being cautious. She’d decided to start with the basics and only adapt human technology with alien if she was certain it couldn't be turned to nefarious uses.

Her current project was a form of mental projection, like a hologram, but with her own memories. The idea had come to her when she realised that soon Krypton’s culture would be lost as eventually both Superman and Supergirl, especially, would be gone, and the entire burden of their culture would fall to ruin. Lena couldn't let that happen and was steadily building the technology to let her share the gift the Morverliathain had given her, and give it to humanity. She hadn't told Supergirl yet. She wanted it to be at least a possibility before she told her, but she figured it would be the greatest gift that Earth, that humanity, that _Lena_ , could ever give her. The preservation of her culture, of Krypton, for centuries to come.

It was...difficult… for the young Luthor. For all that she was a genius, actually many IQ points beyond but she didn't like to brag, Earth didn't have the tools and technology required to even build the technology she wanted, soshe was trying to build her own. It was a good distraction from the outcome of her mother's trial and the subsequent dragging of her name through the mud. To be fair though, the entire alien population of National City publically thanking her for saving their lives had been a much needed PR boost and her stock prices were at a reasonable level, especially with her mother's incarceration. Thankfully she’d still been recovering and had been forbidden from going out in public until she had been cleared. She had had dizzy spells and had fainted a half dozen times a day as she got used to the knowledge in her brain, and the DEO doctor’s had decided to keep an eye on her, for her safety of course.

Supergirl had kept her company. She’d brought her food, drinks, and reading material when it was allowed. She’d even brought her a few makeshift games that she’d made herself. She’d taught Kal, she said sheepishly, shyly, when she’d appeared in the doorway a little nervous, if Lena were to be honest. Lena had instantly agreed to play a game and the smile that Supergirl had shot her rivalled the sun she drew energy from. Lena had won, of course, poor Supergirl couldn't compete with someone with the entirety of the game techniques in her head, but she hadn't minded. She’d laughed and smiled and talked away at her in Kryptonese, falling into the patterns easily as they kept talking. Sometimes she’d go quiet and just look at Lena with watery eyes and Lena would ask her about the animals, and her friends, and her schooling. She craved an emotional connection to the knowledge she had, without it it was just cold. Supergirl made it feel real.

And she had to admit, she’d shed a little tear at the message the girl Casey had sent to her and resolved to look into her family situation to see if she could get her through college, or beauty school, or acting school, or anything that she wanted to do. A heart like hers should be neutered so it could be shared with the world and Lena was a strong advocate for giving young girls an education.

When she was finally able to leave the DEO (she had been allowed to contact her secretary and give her instructions but had not been permitted outside her room, only escorted to the showers and things) they had to blindfold her, again, and Supergirl delivered her home. It had been...bittersweet fare- welling the hero on her balcony. Supergirl had been strangely shy and nothing like the confident woman she could be. Her hands had risen as though to touch Lena or to say something else, but she had just waved, given a small smile and had flipped back off the balcony edge. She’d shot into the sky a moment later and Lena had watched her go, a small smile on her face that had slowly faded to sadness. She had grown closer to the hero while on her medical leave, read; forced absence from work, and would miss her.

To her surprise it had only been the next day, her first at work officially, and there had been a knock on her door and Supergirl walked in with a bunch of flowers and her guilty pleasure; donuts from her favourite shop in Metropolis.

Since then the two of them would have dinner together, and had done so on and off for the past month.

Just as she suspected a few minutes later and Supergirl walked through the glass doors with a grin and another paper bag, this one with a familiar logo on it. Her favourite guilty pleasure was donuts from a little hole-in-the-wall store in Metropolis and she had once mentioned it, offhand, to the hero, while they were speaking of her lessons on Krypton, and the hero had appeared the next day with a bag and a hopeful smile.

Now whenever she was having a bad day the bag would somehow appear on her desk with a post-it note with a smiling face on it. She’d received a few texts from Kara in the days after her blessing but so far the reporter was keeping her distance, and she was both thankful for it, and also saddened by it. She had thought Kara would at least try to fight for her, or for the exclusive interviews she could give her, but she hadn't. The sorrow she felt was being soothed by the presence and smile by National City’s own caped protector, Supergirl.

“ _Hello Lena_ ,” Supergirl smiled and walked over to the couch and made herself at home, Kryptonese falling from her lips with aching familiarity. She placed the original take-out bags on the coffee table and then patted the couch next to her, clearly telling Lena she wanted her to join her.

Lena ignored the shiver that ran down her spine at the way the hero said her name. She’d only been doing it recently and each time she smiled a shy, but coy smile. They hadn't said anything of it yet, and for that Lena was grateful. She wanted to sort through her burgeoning feelings herself before she acted on them, if she did.

“Y _ou work too much_ ,” Supergirl said as Lena rose to her feet and smoothed her skirt before gliding across the rug towards the sofa.

“ _I expect excellence and dedication from my employees_ ,” Lena said fondly with the exasperation of someone who’d had this conversation many times before. “ _How can I expect them to aim for such goals if I myself will not._ ”

Supergirl just grinned and popped a steaming french fry into her mouth.

“ _It’s Friday_ ,” she said and dug around in the first bag. “ _So I brought you a treat_ ,” she said and handed her a wrapped burger with a flourish.

“ _I’ve known the days of the week since I was a child, Supergirl_.” But she took the offered burger as the Super poked her tongue out at her playfully. The Kryptonian had already devoured a few combos, if the rubbish in the bag was anything to go by, but she grinned up at Lena and shifted over on the couch so she could sit. Her cape was folded over her knees and there was a napkin on the table and she reached for a soda and sipped it obnoxiously through the straw. She couldn't help but smile a little at the childish display. The Super was a conundrum.

“ _So_ ,” Supergirl said as she lowered her drink and picked up her large fries and curled up on the sofa. “Y _ou’ve been working late a lot recently… big project_?” she asked innocently, gazing over at Lena through her lashes. Lena smiled and took a less than dainty bite of her burger, stomach rumbling. She had skipped lunch and it was well into night by now if the roaring creature in her belly was anything to go by.

Lena smiled over at the Super and licked some stray sauce from her lips before shrugging. “ _A CEO never runs out of things to do_ ,” she offered, avoiding the question. Truthfully she had been in the L-Corp laboratories most of the day working on building some of those tools she wanted for her pet-project, and only now was she catching up on her official paperwork.

The hero nodded in agreement. “ _Okay, but you still didn't tell me what its for. You’ve been working a lot, and you’ve been in the lab. I can tell_ ,” she added impishly and was eyeing the donut bag.

Lena paused. “ _How-oh, right. Bloodhound_ ,” she corrected herself wryly and was rewarded with Supergirl giving her her full attention in the form of a pout. She could probably smell the chemicals and metals Lena had been using. Maybe even see traces of them on her. Which was a bit creepy.

“ _Rude_.”

Lena stuck her tongue out in response and Supergirl smiled and then a donut was in her hand the next time she blinked.

“ _I envy your calorie intake_ ,” she commented as she took another bite of her burger and the alien beamed at her.

“ _Treat yo self_ ,” she tried and failed at holding a serious face but ended up smiling at Lena. “ _You can go back to your salads over the weekend, but tonight you’re indulging_!”

Lena smiled and shook her head fondly. _“If  I ate everything you brought for me I’d have to spend another three point four hours at the gym_.”

“ _Psh_ ,” the hero scoffed and waved a donut laden hand in her direction sprinkling the sugar over the furnishings. “ _You look great! Eh, I mean, um...yup_.”

Lena felt her heart warm at the compliment and the heat travelled from her chest to her cheeks but she had been raised to be graceful, so she merely inclined her head at the compliment. Supergirl was a little red in the cheeks and avoiding her eyes.

“ _That’s because I monitor what I eat and then work it off_.”

The hero huffed as though such a concept would be pure torture and flopped back on the couch with her hand over her eyes. “ _Argh, that would be soooo hard!_ ”

Lena shrugged. It was necessary for her to maintain her figure and she enjoyed the benefit being healthy gave her. Plus she did enjoy working out. Especially her high intensity work-outs. She liked hitting things, and the punching bag had gotten a lot of use since she’d had it installed.

“ _Hey_ !” Supergirl blinked and then grinned. “I _could come work-out with you_!”

Lena started and wiped her greasy hands on a napkin before deciding if the French fries were worth the time she’d have to spend on the treadmill. She picked one and brought it to her lips and tilted her head in thought. While they had shared many nights like this one, they had never really hung out outside of the office.

 _“I could like hold the punching bag for you and be your jogging buddy_!”

Lena thought it through. “ _Supergirl_ ….” bright blue eyes dimmed at the impending rejection. _“You could lap me in about three seconds_.”

“ _Yeah, but you don’t have a gym buddy for the competition or at least not always. They are cheerleaders and personal trainers in one_!” She was back to smiling again and clearly the idea excited her.

“ _Ohhh, we could go for a hike in the forest! Apparently there's a really nice waterfall somewhere there. We could go for a swim_!”

Lena inhaled and released her breath as she considered it. Truthfully she did enjoy spending time with the blonde and maybe a walk in the forest would be fun. At least she could try it, and she wouldn't have to worry about protection. Supergirl would be more than capable of fighting of a bear if required.

“ _Okay_ ,” she nodded and was rewarded with a hopeful look in bright eyes.

“ _Really?!_ ” Supergirl’s voice was raised in excitement, a little too loud, but Lena nodded again. “ _Awesome! You let me know when and I’ll be there! It’s gonna be so much fun_!”

Lena let the hero ramble into what food she would take and they would have a cute picnic and she would sort all of that out and Lena didn’t need to worry about a thing. Supergirl appeared to have forgotten one important detail, and really, Lena wouldn't be a modest citizen if she didn’t point it out.

“ _So... should I expect to see you in a Supergirl bikini_?”

The hero cut herself off abruptly, words discussing her favourite sandwiches trailing off. She looked startled, and was giving her best impression of an animal before headlights. “ _Um_?””

Lena just brought her hands to her lips and giggled. Supergirl blinked at her and then lifted her hand awkwardly to her temple and settled for brushing her hair back from her face in a choppy movement.

“ _Come now!_ ” Lena laughed. “ _You can’t expect me to be the only one going for a swim! You can’t be a chicken about it. If I do it you have too_!”

Supergirl’s grin was pained as it rested on her features and was slipping from her lips and Lena just giggled. She wouldn't be getting the image from her head anytime soon.

“ _El Mayarah, remember_?” she asked with the innocence of a puppy surrounded by the contents of the trash can.

**“ _Ri-ight_ ,” Supergirl said weekly. “ _El Mayarah_.” **


	6. Stealth

Lena was in the laboratories and was tinkering with her pet-project when one of the other engineers suddenly came in and flicked the television on. It had been a few weeks since her discussion with Supergirl and the hero’s offer to take her for a hike, but so far they hadn't been able to. Lena’s busy schedule combined with Supergirl’s; her day job, her hero job, and her other responsibilities, had meant the two had yet to go past dinner in her office several times a week, but Lena didn't mind. She knew the city demanded Supergirl’s attention and was thankful to have even a moment of her time.

“Have you seen the news?” He called and the other three scientists paused what they were doing and looked up at the screen as he flicked it to a news station. 

The headline was blaring across the bottom in an obnoxious banner reading ‘Supergirl injured in David/Goliath fight.’ 

Lena felt her heart tighten and quickly straightened in her seat and lowered her safety goggles. 

The footage the station was playing was grainy and amateur, probably taken from the roof of a near by building and showed Superhero darting around a literal giant mass of… what looked like a furry blob. She was darting around its limbs, which seemed to just emerge from its body at random, and firing shot into its body with her laser vision. The buildings around her already bore mark to their fight and black vans were pulling up and agents with high-tech weaponry were scrambling on the ground to surround the creature. They looked tiny on the screen and the footage shook as the zoom went in as far as it could go.

She watched as Supergirl was struck by a failing tentacle-like limb and thrown into a building. Glass shattered around her like petals as she took a moment to recover and then flew at the creature.

It gave an inhuman roar and all of the limbs shot at the hero. Her heat-vision was on full blast, you could see the strain she was putting into it as she flew towards the creature. She managed to dodge all of the limbs and threw her fists into its body. They collided with a boom and the creature stumbled back, into what the news anchor in the voice-overlay hoped was an abandoned building.

Having a Superhero around certainly increased the city’s maintenance budget ten-fold. For all the good she did she was an expensive asset.

It wrapped its limbs around the hero and they could see her squirming in its grasp on the footage and the agents below were firing heavily into the thick fur with little success. 

Like someone sinking into a bath Supergirl was drawn into it, and it’s belly opened and formed to splits of large, carnivorous teeth.

Lena shuddered and kept her eyes on the screen. Her jaw was starting to hurt and there was a stinging in her palms.

Supergirl blasted her vision into its mouth but it ...spat some sort of substance all over her and her vision faltered and died and then she was being bound into its mouth. The great jaws shut behind her and the anchor fell silent in horror. One of the agents on the ground lost his cool and had some sort of energised sword, something like a lightsaber? and started to hack at the creature. It roared in pain and anger and a tentacle emerged from its body and slammed towards the ground. Rubble and dust scattered in a wave and the tentacle withdrew, a green substance oozing from the end of its limb. The agent scrambled to his feet and took a running leap at a car and ran up the windscreen and over the hood and launched himself into the air, bring the sword up high and slamming it down on the extended tentacle like some scene out of a fantasy movie.

The creature howled, a high-pitched screech and jerked backwards, and the windows that hadn’t been broken in the fight shattered at the sound.

There was a humming, a low whirring that gradually grew in size and strength and there was ribbons of light inside the creature, visible through the fur.

The agent with the sword paused and then turned back and shouted something and the agents scrambled backwards for cover. 

The creature exploded with a flash of light and green, and Supergirl was thrown into a building where she rested in a sizable crater.

The agent with the sword ran for her and knelt next to her as she fell from the wall and landed limp on the concrete. He rolled the hero over after a few moments and then slumped next to her in relief. 

The footage abruptly cut, to what was obviously live, to where a black chopper was descending on the street and the agent had Supergirl over his shoulders, with another one at the other side. The Super was clearly wounded, covered in green muck but with small rivers of blood on her face and she managed a bloody smile at something the agent said.

The anchor was speaking at how obviously Supergirl was injured, but she had come out on top of the fight, and emergency services were warning people away from the area still. The camera crew followed the chopper into the sky and then surveyed the damage but Lena was already up and out of her seat and moving quickly to the elevator. She needed to get to her office. She had a bigger television and privacy.

It took three hours before anything happened, before ‘Supergirl’ was again seen flying through the city but Lena’s texts to the hero had gone unanswered and she was starting to lose patience. She knew that Kara’s DEO boss could shape-shift and figured that it was he patrolling the city. Supergirl would have messaged her or come and seen her, they were friends.

Growling under her breath she turned to her computer and stretched her fingers. It was time to get some answers… the Luthor way. After all; if you wanted something done right you had to do it yourself.

After the mess with CADMUS and her mother and with the hero coming to see her she had detected a hack of her systems. She had thought that, at the time, it was maybe one of her mother's lackeys, but they hadn't done anything other than bug her system and trace her. So it was something personal, they didn't want L-Corp. Just Lena. And from her conversations with Supergirl since, it had been the hero’s organisation that had not believed in her, so that left the DEO as the culprit for her hack.

She had to admit she was impressed by the skill behind the hacker, but whoever it was wasn’t on the same tier as she was. She’d hacked the Whitehouse for fun, on a dare from Lex, at seventeen years old, so she knew her computer systems inside and out. No lackwit of half her intelligence was going to bug her, not unless she allowed it. Unfortunately for the hacker, who no doubt thought they were being as sneaky as Kara had when she had tried to get information from her on her mother, Lena excelled with technology and had let the hack be. All she had to do was follow the trail back to the source and she would have an I.P Address of the DEO, or at least the location of somewhere she could get some answers.

It took her three minutes, with another two to google search the location, and then she was on her feet and heading to her private rooms at the end of the floor.

“Cancel the rest of my day. Please Jess,” she called as she went to get changed and her faithful assistant nodded. 

“Already done, Miss Luthor.” Jess had seen the news, could barely see anything but for the monitors playing replays of the fight, and knew that Lena was concerned. Honestly Jess thought the two of them were dating, but hadn't brought it up. She was waiting for Miss Luthor to tell her.

“Thank you,” Lena commented as she let herself inside and moved quickly to her spare clothes. Jess had told her that Supergirl had wanted her to go to Lena’s apartment and get her some clothes after she had fallen asleep on the couch those many weeks ago but hadn't realised that she already had a lot of clothes there so that she could work-out, or go down to the lab. She chose simple clothing now; dark jeans, t-shirt, and jacket and went for  pair of worn converse. Comfort clothing at its finest.

“Jess,” she called as she exited the room and approached the elevator. “Please have John bring the car around.”

Jess nodded immediately and picked up her phone to call her driver and Lena took the elevator down. She ducked into the L-Corp vault to grab a few proto-types she’d been working on and tossed them into her purse, as well as a signal jammer which  _ may  _ have had some Kryptonian modifications. Hey, it wasn't technically a weapon, right? She was careful not to grab any weapons as that would be seen as an attack, and she didn't want to come across like that. Still, she had her tasers in her purse, some pepper spray and that other thing she wasn’t going to think of unless she needed to. Being a Luthor was an occupational hazard and she was prepared for almost anything.

Her driver was waiting outside and she ignored the few flashes of the camera’s and the questions asked of her as she got into the car.

“John.”

“Miss Luthor,” her driver said and put the car in gear.

She told him the location and requested he drive past the building and park around the corner, and she took a moment to use the on-board computer and take a peek at what she was looking into. 

She was easily able to use the hackers feed, still visible to her after these months, and trace it back to the source, even though the firewall was impressive. Once inside she was able to skip through the devices with ease and took a look at the security she was up against. She could only access the outside video feed as they were run on another, more accessible line than the private video footage which she could hack-if she had the time and didn't mind alerting the DEO to her presence. Instead with a quick google search she was able to determine which buildings were next door and then slipped into their servers and security feeds. If she were the contractor in charge of their security she would be fired about now, it was very easy.

The camera’s weren't focused at the DEO but she borrowed them for a moment as the car glided to a halt at some lights and looked at the front door.

The front door looked...easy. It was remarkably plain for the entrance (one of them?) to a secret government agency. It was a nice building, modern and sleek and she was unable to see in through the darkened windows but caught the pillars lining the facade of the building. 

There was a balcony a story and a half above the ground and she could see two shadows standing there and figured it was the perfect landing pad for a Super.

The door was nestled between the two pillars and she could make out a desk and what looked like some stairs but that was all. The corridor was relatively long so it was difficult to tell. 

She took a moment to consider her next move and then connected her modified signal jammer to her cell phone. When she was inside she wanted to be able to cut their feeds, or at least get them on a loop, and it was a good time as any to test if the knowledge in her brain would work on Earth.

“We’re nearly there Miss Luthor,” John told her and she shifted over on the seat to look out the window. Thankfully traffic was slow and she was able to get a good look at the front of the building.

An outline of an eagle was on the front doors, etched into the glass and there was a box for electronic entry to the building.

Hm, Lena thought as the traffic started and they had to pull away.“ Pull up around the corner, please John.”

Her driver obeyed and parked in a loading zone while she worked her computer magic. The operating system for the lock would be like most doors, she assumed. If the incorrect electronic signal was used then the door would not open, and she figured, the person would be encouraged to leave by the security at the front desk, or maybe, arrested. A comforting thought.  

“Thank you. That’ll be all for the moment.”

“Of course, Miss Luthor. Have a lovely day.”

She smiled at him as she pulled her aviators on and her hoodie up and got out of the car. She got out her cell-phone, checked the signal jammer was ready and then slung her bag over her shoulder.

John pulled away and she walked confidently towards the entrance. Supergirl still hadn’t messaged her and she was starting to get worried. Scratch that. She was worried. Now she was starting to panic.

Her strides took her confidently up to the doors and she could see a pair of American flags behind them and she cast a glance at the lock and dug out her keys. Thankfully she had L-Corp keys and her apartment keys, each of them were different and she choose her basement L-Corp key. The DEO may have been the DEO but she was Lena Luthor, and that door was between her and something she wanted. Their security didn't stand a chance.

As she swiped it over the lock it clicked red and gave a slight beep. She did it again, keeping an eye on the security guard as he looked over at her. She tried again and then sighed, shrugged for affect and then rapped on the door and gave a little wave. She finished it off by pointing at the door and shrugging, showing him her access key and lifting her hands in a what-can-you-do-gesture. It worked like clockwork. He ambled over to her and opened the door and she felt horrible for  what she was going to do to him.

“Thanks Mike,” she said casting his name badge a glance a she breezed past him and into the building. “I don’t know why it wasn't working.”

He had his hand cautiously at his side arm. ”Miss. I’m going to need to see some ID.”

”Oh!” Lena said in surprise. “Of course!” She pulled her hood back and shifted her bag to the side.

She cast a glance down the hall and then pressed the button on her phone. She was rewarded with a swift burst of static at the radio on his belt and he frowned at it and when he looked up she was already in his space and had jammed her keys into his neck.

She had a mini taser connected to her keys for safety reasons and she felt bad about it, but he went rigid, gasped and then fell. She faltered under his weight but managed to drag him over to the wall and left him there. She walked cautiously down the and hesitated at  the set of stairs on both sides before deciding to take them. She was rewarded for her breaking and entering by two black-clad agents coming down the steps.

“Hey! You!” 

They were visibly startled to see her and she fought the urge to roll her eyes and dug in her bag for her next trick.

“Intruder at the gate,” one spoke into his radio as the other ran towards her, his gun rising. Lena tossed the small disks she had taken from L-Corp at them and then pressed the centre button on the last one to leave her hands. The disks did not have to be close together for them to work they relied on electromagnetic waves, a gift from Krypton, and would basically electrocute anything caught in their web. The two guards fell the same as the first and she stepped over them apologetically.

“Sorry,” she said and then looked around at the end of the corridor. She took a moment to admire the large windows and impersonal steel accents and the light and dark marble of the floor. She was fairly certain her awe was showing on her face.

She edged out of the stairwell and got her first good look at the DEO HQ.

She was right, the balcony had two agents standing at rest next to two American flags and it opened out to a sweet view of the street. Sunlight was pouring in through the windows and cast their shadows over the concrete. There were steps leading down to the level and she could see people moving above her. On the wall, with more flag’s, there was the same eagle symbol but this time it had Department of Extranormal Operations around it, with the DEO in the centre and two stars, one on either side.

Further down were small desk and then at the end of the corridor there was a large half circle with huge monitors on the wall and many people working on computers.

It was an impressive set up, she had to admit, and was drawn from her musing by a startled gasp.

“Lena!”

Lena blinked, straightened and removed her glasses. Agent Danvers had a cup of coffee in her hand and was staring at her in shock.

“Ah! Agent Danvers,’ she smiled her sweetest smile. “I’m here to see Supergirl. She hasn’t been answering my texts.” She said it as though this were an ordinary occurrence, and that she hadn't just broken into one of the top secret facilities in the world.

“How did you- wait, what?”

The guards at the door had clearly realised she wasn’t actually welcome, or maybe heard her last name, and they had their weapons drawn on her and an alarm started to sound. It’s blaring call rang out and great doors started to close over the balcony and emergency lighting tripped on.

People were darting under desks and pulling weapons and their response time was impressive.

Lena lifted her hands peacefully as Agent Danvers just stared at her and her fellow Agents aimed their weapons at her.

“Miss Luthor, what  _ -how  _ did you get in here?”

She was surrounded in short order.

“Would you believe me if I said your guard on the door let me in?” She asked wryly keeping her hands in the air.

Alex’s look was unimpressed and she clicked her ear to speak into her coms. “Winn?”

“She didn’t come up on the visual… none of this is!” Called someone she thought she recognised and she shifted a little to see him past Agent Danvers.

“Hey! I know you,” she said and then stiffened as the agents tensed. “Easy, Agents. No need to get trigger happy.”

She glanced around her and then looked back at Agent Danvers.

“Um, the security feed is my fault, sorry,” she ducked her head apologetically. “I wanted to see Supergirl.

“You hacked our security feeds?” The man from before the one she recognised from the gala came running up to Agent Danvers.

“Yes…. and I created a loop. Sorry… annnnd I sorta knocked out your guards downstairs?” Her voice raised apologetically and the Agents shifted on their feet.. Alex’s eyes narrowed and she jerked her head towards the stairwell. A pair of agents ducked down the stairs and out of sight, but she could hear their boots  She hesitated and then tilted her head.” But for a top secret alien-fighting organisation your security needs some work. Once I’ve seen Supergirl I can help you with that.”

“You hacked us? How? I made it-”

“Winn,” Alex’s voice cut across the man's protests and Lena’s cool gaze narrowed in on him.

“So you’re the one who hacked L-Corp,” He fidgeted with his tablet and then gave her a shy wave. “I have to admit… I was impressed. Most people don’t even get past the firewall.”

Suddenly he nodded and then brightened. “It was awesome! I nearly tripped over your traps several times.”

Lena offered him a cool smile. “You did. You walked right into them, actually. And led me straight here.”

Winn’s eagerness deflated and there was a blur and she started at seeing Supergirl appear next to Alex.

She took a half step forward and then halted lifting her hands again, which she had lowered while speaking to Winn.

“Supergirl!” She smiled happy to see her friend. “Are you okay? You didn't answer my texts.”

Alex started and she caught the IT guy’s surprise and a few of the agents exchanged glances but kept their guns trained on her.

“Miss Luthor.”

Hearing her name from the hero made her smile falter and her eyes narrowed. “You aren't Supergirl. I want to see her,” she  said firmly and the hero eyed her a moment before morphing back into the human skin the Director wore daily.

“Can I let my hands down now? I’m not armed,” she added as an afterthought. “My arms are getting sore.

“You’ll keep your hands up for as long as we tell-”

“Agent Danvers,’ J’onn interrupted and Alex instantly fell silent.

“Three of our guys down . Two in the stairwell and one at the door,” said one of the Agents as he returned. “I tried to radio it in but got nothing.’

“Yeah.. sorry about that,” Lena winced and then looked at her phone. “Just a sec,” she tapped the ‘end’ button“ and a burst of static made several agents wince.

“Vasquez, do you have coms?” J’onn’s voice, dark and rumbling like thunder enquired. The response was instant.

“Yes, Sir. I can see you all clearly and hear you as well. Orders?”

Lena hadn't taken her gaze off the Martian and willed him to read her thoughts. She was not leaving until she saw Supergirl was alright.

“Lower your weapons. Sound the all clear,” he commanded and the weapons were pulled off her instantly and she released a breath she didn't know she’d been holding.

“J’onn-” Alex was clearly confused and not the slightest bit angry.

“It’s fine Agent Danvers. I will handle this,” J’onn and Alex shared a long look and eventually the agent huffed and stalked away, but not before glaring in Lena’s direction.

“Miss Luthor...there are protocols. Annnd you’ll have to sign some paper--work.”

“I don’t care what I have to sign, just let me see her!” Lena snapped, running out of patience. “It’s been hours. And I know she got hurt.”

She hesitated and straightened, lifting her chin slightly. “Please, just-let me see her.”

There was an odd smile on his face, brightening his general grumpy demeanour and she couldn't place the reason for it, but he gave her a nod.

“Right this way,” he commented and lifted his arm up and she shifted her bag on her shoulders and walked up to him.

“Hill,” he taped his comms. “Please have some NDA’s for Miss Luthor to sign on her way out.”

The ‘Yes sir,” response was immediate but Lena was more interested in the impressive technology dotted around the place and was taking a note of it.

The corridor J’onn lead her down was sterile and impersonal. Blank walls and concrete floors and she passed a mess room, a large gym, some showers and toilets, storage rooms, and then she arrived at the med-lab. She could tell because it smelt sterile and clean and sharp, and there were doctors looking over the guards she had knocked out. She winced apologetically.

She awkwardly cleared her throat. “It was just a taser shock…. they should be fine…”

“We will be discussing that later, Miss Luthor,” J’onn rumbled and her features scrunched up. To be fair she had just broke into a ‘highly’ secure facility and attacked three guards.

“Once I’ve seen Supergirl,” she replied. She would see the hero before anything else. That was her priority at the moment.

“She’s in here,” he nodded to a closed door and she peaked through the windows to see it was a very bright room with a-sunbed?

She didn't even hesitate as she pushed open the doors, she could see a suit of blue and red lying on it and she rushed into the room.

“Supergirl?”

There was a thunk and then a cry and then the sunbed popped open and a shower of glass rained down around the hero as she sat up.

“Lena!” Supergirl smiled and wiped at her head and more glass rained down. There was a head-shaped hole in the top of it and she winced as she looked at it and then looked back at Lena and beamed. They fell into Kryptonese easily.

“What are you doing here?”

Lena rushed up to her and gripped her shoulders and started to try and see through the suit for her injuries.

“Supergirl! I had to come see if you were alright! You didn't answer my messages!”

Supergirl looked confused and cast a look over Lena’s shoulder and then went red as Lena cupped her head and tilted it, trying to see if she were injured.

“Oh! Um, I must have dropped my phone in the fight. Sorry!”

Lena had stopped trying to look for injuries. For all that the hero was covered in some sort of goo and there were tears in her suit and blood stains, she didn't look to have any injury.

“I’m fine. Really,” Supergirl said softly and let her eyes fall closed and Lena absently ran the pads of her fingers over the hero's soft face.

J’onn gave a polite cough and Supergirl’s eyes flew open.

“If Agent Danvers clears you, you are free to go.” He nodded to them both and then frowned at the damaged sun-bed.

“Tell me why we changed from the heat-lamps?”

Supergirl grinned. “Alex and Susan wanted to work on their tans to beat Ryan.”

J’onn shook his head and ducked out of the room and Supergirl turned back to Lena.

“I really am okay,” she whispered and brought her hands up to cup Lena’s to her face and pressed her open palms into her cheeks. She took a deep, steadying breath and then sighed happily.

“Hi,” she said with a smile and there was a glassy sheen to Lena’s bright green eyes.

“Hey,” Lena croaked and Supergirl took both her hands in her own.

“It’s okay, 

“I thought you’d-you’d… you didn't answer your phone! I was so worried!”

Supergirl ran her thumbs absently along the contours of Lena’s long, graceful fingers and looked up into her beautiful eyes. 

“I’m sorry,” she said apologetically. “Alex-Agent Danvers-um, the doctors told me I had to wait until my solar stores re-charged before I could go home.”

Lena went stiff and her eyes narrowed.

“How badly were you hurt,” she asked suspiciously and Supergirl’s eyes went wide and she shook her head quickly. It was an odd jump to go back to English, but it was Lena’s most familiar tongue and it was easy to slip back into.

“Not badly!They’re just paranoid.”

“If being concerned for your safety is paranoid then get me a tinfoil hat and a doomsday bunker,” Alex said frostily as she came through the doors with a tablet and looked it over.

“Linch says you are free to go, once you pass all the tests.“ Alex turned to Lena. “Miss Luthor. Jones is waiting to escort you to some paperwork you have to sign…. and Winn want’s to talk geek-speak with you.”

Supergirl met Agent Danvers’ eyes for a moment and gave a little nod, the stare the agent was offering was very impressive.

“I’ve have to do some things,” she told Lena gently. “ and then I’ll come get you and we can go to lunch?” The hero’s belly rumbled and she blushed a little.

“Dinner,” Lena corrected and Supergirl nodded eagerly.

“Okay!” Supergirl smiled happily at the thought and then Lena hesitated and then suddenly launched herself at the hero and gave her a clumsy hug.

“I was so worried,” she whispered into her neck and after tensing ins surprise Supergirl wrapped her arms around the young Luthor.

“It’s okay,” she said and ran her hands up and down Lena’s back and let her eyes fall closed, unaware of Alex’s flabbergasted expression. “I’m okay. We’re okay. Everything is okay.”

Lena cleared her throat and stepped back, and there was a light dusting on her cheek bones and she looked lovely. Her heart was thumping but she gave a little nod to her hero and then drew her composure to her and turned and strode towards the door.

“Thank you for taking care of her, Agent Danvers.” She threw a look behind her at Supergirl. “And I’m making you a new suit!”

Alex’s previous hostility was on pause and she just blinked and gave a bemused nod and watched the doors fall closed behind Lena. Agent Jones was outside and she heard him guide Lena away before turning to her sister.

“Lena Luthor! Are you crazy!”

Kara was still staring giddily after Lena and turned to her sister and beamed. 

“What? We’re good friends. Best friends!”

Alex threw her hands in the air. “And what happens when your best friend,” she hissed, “finds out that you’re also her ex-best friend and you’ve been lying to her the entire time?”

Kara deflated a moment and then brightened. “I have hope!”

Alex lot out a pained strangled sound and shook her head. “El Mayarah? Really, Kara? Really?”

Kara just nodded. “Yeah! El Mayarah!”


	7. Date?

Kara was a wee bit nervous. Scratch that; she was very nervous. She was meeting Lena at her apartment soon, and Alex and Maggie had indicated that their…outing….that they were about to go on into the forest and to the waterfall, was very date-like. Which, there was no way it was possibly a date because Lena was out of her league and so pretty and perfect and Kara was just Kara and Lena was straight. So even if it were a date-which it wasn’t- then Kara and Lena didn’t have a chance or anything like that. And it wasn’t even Kara that was flying over to Lena’s place, it was Supergirl.

And there was no way Lena Luthor was in to Supergirl. There just wasn’t. No matter what Maggie muttered about Lena being thirsty.

All it was, was a walk into the forest with two friends? Tentative friends? Allies, certainly. Either way, there was nothing more to it. Alex’s knowing look was for no reason at all, nor was J’onn’s, for that matter.

The day was bright and beautiful as she touched down on Lena’s balcony and took a moment to admire the plants outside before knocking sharply on the glass.

Lena’s voice drifted softly from inside the apartment and she let herself in. It wasn’t like Lena had to lock her doors. They were about twelve stories up and no one, unless they were trying very, very hard, would be getting inside without significant effort.

Lena’s apartment was modern and sleek and looked nothing like Lena’s office. This space was lived in. A throw rug over the chair, an empty mug next to a book before the fireplace, little blades of grass from Lena’s running shoes. The kitchen was used as well. There was a fruit bowl on the bench and another coffee mug near the sink, and there was a chopping board with a few knives on it set to the side to be cleaned later. There was also a large basket, like an actual picnic basket from the movies, taking up a lot of space on the bench.

“Lena?” Kara asked as she inched over to the kitchen and lifted the lid on the basket.

“No peeking,” Lena instructed as she emerged from the hallway and Kara could hear the smile on her face and smell the thick sunscreen she had likely just put on. “You can eat when we get to the waterfall.”

Kara’s belly grumbled and she turned from the picnic basket with a pout which evaporated as soon as she caught sight of Lena.

Lena’s hair was up in a loose ponytail and she had shaped pieces of her fringe around her face with minimum, natural make-up. It made her look younger, innocent. The set of aviators on her head were a dark redish and she was wearing a loose red singlet and a thin, light grey hoodie over top with black exercise pants and familiar blue sneakers. She had two towels slung over her shoulder and grinned at her as she came closer.

Kara beamed in response.

“I hope you brought your Supergirl Bikini,” Lena said teasingly while Kara blinked at her and moved aside.

She was careful to keep the lid of her almost obnoxiously large picnic basket closed while she put the two towels inside and then directed Kara to it.

“You’re carrying,” she said with a smile and waggled her finger warningly as Kara pouted. “And no peaking.”

“So I’m the mule then?” Kara asked wryly and lifted a brow.

Lena grinned. “The prettiest one in National City,” she responded and tapped her pockets where Kara saw the outline of a phone and heard the jingle of keys.

“And seeing as I’m not the one who’ll be eating all those homemade goodies then why should I carry them all?” She asked innocently and battered her lashes in Kara’s direction. It did make sense. Kara would have no trouble lifting and carrying the picnic basket and as the food was probably-mostly-all for her it did make sense. Lena had told her she would be organising food, and Kara had warned her she needed a ridiculous amount of calories, but knew Lena would come through. She didn’t mind-the weight would be nothing to her and it meant she could relieve Lena of the burden.

Kara had perked up at the mention of food and eyed the picnic basket eagerly. Lena’s cooking was amazing.

“What’d you make?” She demanded and obediently wandered back to the picnic basket and picked it up.

It was heavy. Bringing it closer she inhaled and was able to smell fresh bread and mayo and sugar and-

“Cookies?!”

Lena sighed and rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “Yes. Cookies,” she shook her head. “And as I know you’ll be sneaking some on the journey,” she faux glared at the suddenly sheepish Superhero, “makes sure you at least leave one for me.”

Supergirl nodded eagerly. “I will!” She vowed solemnly and then grinned. “I’ll leave you two!”

Lena gave a little laugh and Kara’s stomach fluttered and she ignored it by making a show of lifting the basket as though it were a weight and grunting with the effort.

“One, ergh, two, ergh.”

Lena giggled and turned away and Kara bounced up behind her.

“Do you know the way?” She asked as Lena opened the door for them both and keyed in the security key.

Lena smelt like sunscreen and body spray as she breezed past her and into the hall and she locked the door before checking her security system was in place.

“I Googled,” Lena said and then looked at her knowingly. “Besides. If we get lost I have my very own Superhero to save me.” There was a kind of weight to her words while Kara tried to remain earth-bound. They set of a funny, warm, fluttery feeling in her chest. She wanted to place her hands on her hips and puff out her chest with pride. It was true. She had Lena.

The two of them took the elevator down to the basement; Lena’s VIP status as building owner meant that the elevator didn’t stop for anyone. Which was probably a good thing as Kara wasn’t sure how she and Lena should act if someone came in and saw Supergirl holding a picnic basket for Lena Luthor. As it was the press seemed to be thinking all sorts of things about their relationship; some of them more accurate than others, and others still so wildly out of the water that Kara had been of half a mind to hunt the reporters down and dangle them from rooftops. It had nothing to do with how she maybe wanted there to be more to their purely platonic dinners and more to do with journalistic integrity. Making up lies about Lena, and herself, was just rude and she didn’t like it.

Lena thought they were funny though; often letting her hands linger just a moment too long or flirting with her at a slightly inappropriate volume just to get the stares and to make Kara blush. Kara knew she was toying with the press, but as the most media attention she got now-days was about her and Supergirl and if they were dating or not, then Kara was willing to go along with it. She had started to enjoy toying with them as well; maybe making bold statements to Lena in public just to see the press gawk and scramble like seagulls to get their attention. She knew it wasn’t real though, and Lena had been kind enough to ask her if she was okay with it, and Kara had been. She knew Lena wanted some good press, but knew that, that wasn’t just why she was doing it. She was playing with them too, and Kara was happy to help. Though some of the articles discussing their latest rendezvous were amusing when they giggled over them later.

It was almost like what Kara and Lena had done before Kara’s betrayal, and her chest still ached with it when she thought of it. But the ache had faded to a dull throb now days. Lena still had time for Kara, but she was more guarded than she had ever been and the lunch invites were few and far between, and they were always just a little bit awkward as the two were unable to ease back into their relationship. Instead the relationship between Supergirl and Lena Luthor was going stronger than ever. They had multiple lunch dates throughout the week, and once or twice they would meet for dinner. Kara had enjoyed dragging Lena out among the people and letting her enjoy the smaller, family owned restaurants where she was treated warmly, and not just because she walked in with Supergirl. Lena was opening up under the positive, gentle attention, and Kara loved learning more about her, and in turn offered her up stories of her home.

Lena, in some bizarre twist of fate, understood. Her family were genocidal xenophobes, and though it had pained Kara to admit (to herself and to Lena) she had felt a weight lifted from her shoulders when she told Lena about what her parents had done. Lena was…. Lena was singular. She didn’t offer any judgement or sympathy or turn away from her in disgust at what her parents had done, she merely took her hand across the table (and maybe had started rumours of them being more than colleagues and friends) and told her that she was not them. That was clear. And that she, Supergirl, didn’t have to be anything other than who she wanted. She got to decide who she was, and nothing her family did could change that.

Kara…needed to hear that from someone who understood the guilt that she carried, even if it was a little different. Alex and J’onn and even Maggie had tried to convince her that their sins weren’t her own, but she could barely look at herself in the mirror when their sins tainted her blood, but Lena got it. She got Kara. And part of her mourned the loss of her friendship with Lena not that she wouldn’t take spending time with her as Supergirl away for anything, but Kara and Lena didn’t have any…barriers… between them becoming anything more than friends. Supergirl and Lena on the other hand…. It hurt her to think on it, knowing that Lena would never be interested in anything more than friendship with her. Maybe they could have been, but there was a bid secret hanging between them.

The irony didn’t escape her. To think she had met someone who she had grown to care for and the one secret between them wasn’t her Super-identity but her civilian one.

She was shaking her head to herself when the elevator dinged and she was drawn from her thoughts.

There were some very nice cars in the basement, a few bikes as well, and as Lena led the way towards a very nice motorcycle Kara felt her body heat. Her breath caught when Lena ran her fingers along the leather and the look she shot her was dark and weighted. Kara swallowed and the picnic basket handle protested beneath her hands.

“I did think about taking you for a … _ride_ …” Lena said and ran her tongue along her teeth pointedly and the handle snapped in two.

Lena paused and lifted and eyebrow, appraising while Kara blushed. But she didn’t know if it was because of her accidently snapping the handle or because of what Lena was maybe insinuating.

“But maybe another time,” she finished with a wink and clicked the button on her keys. A beep replied and the garage walls flashed briefly with amber light and Kara nearly sagged in relief. They would be driving in a car. That was good. She wasn’t going to be pressed up against Lena. It was good. She didn’t want to think about being pressed against Lena for an extended period of time. It wouldn’t be good.

The convertible was a sleek blue Mercedes and Lena eased into the driver’s seat while Kara shuffled around and managed to sit without sitting on her cape.

There was a surprising amount of space behind the two seats and she eased the picnic basket back there and buckled up.

Meanwhile Lena had turned the car on, pressed the button to make the roof fold back, and was tapping through her phone to find a playlist.

“Your suit is coming along nicely,” Lena commented as she put the car into reverse and carefully backed out of her reserved park into the cramped space.

Kara perked up. “Is it nearly done?!”

Lena laughed and shook her head. “No. Not yet,” she said and her voice turned playful. “Be patient,” she chided gently and Kara was pretty sure she was pouting. “I have a few more measurements I need to make. Maybe later?”

Kara nodded easily in agreement. Her new suit, one designed by Lena who-no offence to Winn- actually had multiple degrees in design and engineering and had the resources to make it, was going to be amazing she was sure. Lena hadn’t said much, only asked for her measurement and a few other minor details, but Kara knew it was going to be awesome. Anything Lena spent so much time on could only be earth shattering.

They pulled out of the garage and gunned it away from the paparazzi and soon lost them in traffic. The wind was in her hair and she lifted her hands up as though she could touch the clouds, and Lena shook her head at her and turned the playlist up. Kara just grinned at her and watched the highway fade away and the houses become few and far between.

They’d been driving for at least half an hour out of town and the air was cleaner and fresh this close to the mountains and forest of the city’s park. They were passing farms now; lots of animals and rolling green fields. Much greener than in the city, which was to be expected, of course, but Kara had never seen so much green as the day she came to earth. It showed that there was life on this young planet and was still one of the biggest differences between Earth and Krypton. How much life the planet had to it, even as humanity was slowly chipping away at it.

“You know,” Lena began and Kara could see a slight twitch to the corner of her lips, “you never did answer my question?”

“Hm?”

“Your Supergirl bikini,” Lena’s laugh was in her tone and Kara huffed and rolled her eyes.

“I don’t have a Supergirl bikini,” Kara said very quickly and glanced from the corner of her eyes at Lena.

She laughed softly. “Sure you don’t.”

“I don’t!” Kara replied and Lena gave a little shrug, her smile lifting her aviators a little.

“That’s a shame,” she said absently as she took a left turn onto a small one-lane road. “We could have matched.”

Kara nearly choked on her own spit. “What?!” The idea of Lena wearing a Supergirl Bikini made her feel….warm. Very warm. She could picture the contrast of alabaster skin against the blue and red of her House, and maybe even gold trimming?

Lena laughed again as they eased off the tarmac and onto the concrete road.

“You have a Supergirl Bikini?!” Kara yelped, desperate to know but desperate to not.

Lena offered a non-committal hum in response, eyes pointedly on the road, but her lips curled into a smile.

Kara huffed and leant back against the seat and gazed up at the sky as the trees began to stretch over the road and interlink their leaves. She took a deep breath and relaxed. There wasn’t much to hear out here; very few people and even fewer cars and the world around her was alive with nature. Little rodents in the forest, birds in the trees, insects flying through the air, and of course if she strained her hearing, larger animals in the distance.

It took a few more minutes until they came to an end in the road and Lena took a moment to choose a spot and Kara glanced at her warily. One wheel on Lena’s car could probably buy each of the vehicles parked at the parking and Kara was concerned that when she returned it may not be there, or may not be in one piece. As though she had heard her concerns Lena gave a shy little duck of her head as she turned the engine off.

“I know it seems…arrogant… to park such an expensive car out here,” she gestured to the silent woods around them with a manicured hand. “But I designed this software myself,” she said as she unclicked her belt and spun in her seat to face Kara. “No part of this car is going anywhere unless someone brings a saw. And if they do… justice is close at hand,” she finished with a small smile in Kara’s direction.

Kara gave a little nod and then glanced down at her uniform. It _was_ a bit conspicuous. But she hadn’t wanted to change on the off chance that Lena saw her in her civilian clothing and recognised her. The suit was the first thing people saw and they often didn’t look any further, and she needed them to not look further.

Lena had spent far too much time with her already, much to J’onn’s frustration and Alex’s caution, and she didn’t need to give Lena any more insight into who she was. She was already pushing it as it was. It wasn’t that J’onn and Alex didn’t trust Lena, she had proven she was an ally already, it was that they didn’t trust anyone not under their control knowing about Kara. And… Kara didn’t like it as well. People knowing who she was put them in danger just by association and Lena was already in enough danger as it was without adding Supergirl’s civilian identity to the mix. And… Kara couldn’t be the reason for Lena getting hurt.

But, she considered as she stepped out of the car and leant back in to grab the picnic basket, she and Lena were news already and people speculated about them, so what more would one more hurt? Besides, she could just vanish at the sight of a camera; after all, ‘pics or it didn’t happen’ as James liked to joke. She didn’t realise, at that moment while glancing across the car into Lena’s smile, that _that_ would come back to haunt her. A picture did speak a thousand words….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am still writing this. <3


	8. Kiss

Lena Luthor took the back door into L-Corp the next morning, wearing a hoodie and aviators that covered most of her face. Her make-up was minimal and she was painfully dressed down, so unassuming that the horde of reporters outside didn’t even notice her sneaking into her own building.

Only when she was within the safety of the L-Corp walls and away from the press did she lean against the elevator in slumped defeat. Her phone had been going off all morning in a constant stream of texts, notifications, and calls, and she had to put it on silent so that she could have a moments thought to herself. In the silent and cool elevator she took a brief respite to gather her thoughts before facing what she knew would be a gruelling day.

Jess was at her desk and one of the first things Lena noticed was the empty coffee cups on it and of course that the phone was off the hook.

Lena straightened as she exited the elevator and strode towards her office. Jess fell into place behind her immediately, tight lines around her eyes, but otherwise giving no indication of her stress or the questions Lena could see in her eyes.

“How bad?” Lena asked as she pulled her hoodie back and removed her glasses. Thankfully she kept spare clothing at work just in case and she was very thankful that she had something professional to get changed into.

“Um….” Her normally concise and articulated assistant hesitated and Lena paused inside her office before the door to her private rooms and lifted a brow. Jess immediately straightened and glanced down at her tablet.

“Well…. You’re trending on all social media platforms, headlining across the globe. L-Corp’s stock prices have risen seven percent and finance predicts a day end of eleven percent on this time yesterday.” Jess tapped at her tablet and continued without glancing up. Following Lena into her private rooms where there was a bathroom, bed, small gym, and a mini-kitchenette that she rarely used. “Walsh Enterprises have pulled out of your latest venture and several more investors are set to follow suit. I’ve had calls and emails from every news outlet in the country requesting a comment and PR is the first meeting on your list at nine,” Jess said and lowered her tablet to look Lena in the eye as she moved over to her closet and started to peel her jumper off.

“I’ve cancelled the rest of your day for… personal reasons and instructed security to only let employees inside.”

Lena let a hint of laughter colour her tone and made a sound that could be called an undignified snort if she weren’t so well mannered. “Personal reasons? Jess,” she drawled as though her assistant didn’t know what she had done yesterday. “I think my name and face on every media outlet in the country is obvious enough,” she commented as she started to button up a blouse and then moved on to her pants. She’d worn an old baggie grey pair of sweat-pants over her skin-tight jeans and slipped out of them and her shoes into her heels.

Jess just gave a little shrug. “I’ve spoken with legal. Ken is going to sit in on your nine o’clock and offer advice from a legal point of view.”

Lena gave a little nod and made sure not a hair was out of place in her reflection before turning to Jess.

“Could you please get me a coffee? I think I’ll need it today.”

Her faithful, capable assistant nodded and clutched her tablet to her. “I’ll deliver it to you soon.”

Jess was part way out the door and into her office and she was quick to raise her voice to thank her.

Jess just spun around as she headed back to her desk, gave her a little smile and a nod, and was out the doors.

Sighing Lena walked around to her chair, already feeling the weight of her name and responsibilities bearing down on her shoulders. Jess had lain several copies of various newspapers on her desk and she took a moment to mentally praise her assistant for being so thorough, but her exhale was loud as she sank into her chair. Variations of her name and L-Corp, and of Supergirl and her monikers were combined in thick, black ink and headlining each paper with a blurry photo of two women kissing in front of a waterfall underneath. One of the women, a brunette, was in a black one-piece and the other, a blonde, was in a blue and red bikini; a _Supergirl_ bikini.

She took a moment to be thankful that the photo was taken by an unsuspecting bystander and a crappy camera phone rather than a professional or experienced photographer. If _they_ had been the one to take it then the world would have seen Supergirl curling a hand possessively around Lena’s Luthor’s waist, one hand tangled in dark hair as she controlled their kiss. They would have been able to see the water in Lena’s hair from the water while Supergirl’s remained oddly free from the mist but was still plastered to her head. They would have been able to see the way Lena’s body curled and pressed into the firm body holding her close. They would have been able to see the soft, quiet joy in Lena’s face as she melted into a kiss. They would have seen a Luthor kissing a Super. A Super kissing a Luthor.

Her PR team had been working themselves into a frenzy since the news broke last night and, surprisingly, her stock prices had held, even rising a substantial amount. She knew what they would be saying, had listened to the news this morning and seen her face broadcasted across the city but… she was oddly…detached…from the entire situation. Apart from her initial shock, when she was called by her PR HOD, she now felt…empty of thoughts and opinions on it. And then it had turned to…distance…she felt detached from the entire fiasco now.

When she had time to think about it she was sure that she would start to feel something but for now she was studying the situation with a clinical detachment. Looking at it with a scientist’s brain, rather than a Luthor’s heart, was easier. It didn’t hurt so much.

Objectively it was a nice photograph. The women complimented each other, dark and light, and the waterfall created a beautiful backdrop, somehow making the intimacy between the two seem pure and natural. It could have been the front for a Nicholas Sparks film or novel; something about two star-crossed lovers falling in love and finding each other against all odds, a love story for the ages. And that was the problem. Regardless of who you thought the two women could be it was obvious they cared for each other, calling them Supergirl and Lena Luthor was what was causing the outcry across the city and world. Luthor’s tried to kill Super’s, not kiss them, and Super’s tossed Luthor’s in jail, they didn’t feel them up- as one anonymous social media user commented.

Still.

Both Super and Luthor camps had been silent on the photos, and the angle was off enough that the two women could be any of the thousands of couples in the city and not two of the most famous women in the city. Unless Supergirl or Lena Luthor, and their people, commented, it was only speculation; fronted, of course, by the eye witnesses and photographer, but they didn’t know for sure. It could have all been an act. It wouldn’t be difficult. Get a blonde and brunette actress and set them up in a romantic location and then leak the footage. Another actor, the photographer, and their companions could speculate that ‘Hey, isn’t that Lena Luthor?’ and the rabidity of social media would do the rest- which had been exactly what had happened.

The media was waiting and watching, ready for a denial or confirmation. They were as ravenous as a pack of starving wolves, chomping, snapping, and frothing and demanding answers they had no right to.

There was a knock at her door that drew her attention upwards and outwards.

“Your coffee,” Jess said as she entered the room and made her way across the room.

“Mh,” Lena hummed and accepted the offered cup and inhaled before taking a small sip. It would have surprised anyone but the two of them that Lena didn’t drink coffee- she didn’t need to. Her brain was so powerful that if she had the slightest amount of caffeine while she was at her ordinary work level, then she would start to see colours.

“Can I get you anything else?” Jess asked as Lena hummed in satisfaction and clasped her hands before her.

Lena thought a moment and then shook her head. “No. Thank you.”

Jess inclined her head and ducked back out the room to return to her duties and Lena returned her attention to the articles before her. She spent the rest of the morning until her nine am meeting reading the articles, sometimes chuckling at the absurdity of it and at other times ready to call the news outlet and give them a piece of her mind. Thankfully she was well trained and experienced in dealing with media and their sometimes cutting remarks so she remained alone and silent in her tower until Jess knocked on her door and let her PR and legal representative inside.

Silently folding the paper she was reading and tossing it to the side she clasped her hands together underneath her chin and watched her employees silently decide who was going to stand and who was going to sit.

Ken ended up on her right and her head of department, Mika, took the left seat while his higher ranked employees stood awkwardly around them. Lena waited for them to break the silence. It took a long moment.

“Well,” Mika’s throat bobbed and he tugged at an already eschew tie. “Um, there are two ways we can go about this,” his voice gained traction as he spoke. “We can remain silent and let it fade away or we deny the accusations and seek legal compensation against the media outlets and the photographers.”

Ken gave a little nod and offered Lena a folder which she didn’t take.

“And if it were true?” She asked quietly, gaze inquisitive but guarded on Mika. The man was obviously not expecting that response for he gaped a moment, channelling his best impression of a fish and Lena scanned the reactions of the rest of her staff. Each of them were in different stages of shock but she paid them no mind as she returned her attention back to her head of PR. If any of them ever spoke about anything about Lena or L-Corp or their work they knew she would skin them, or her lawyers would, her gag-orders were very specific, but she paid well so they usually had no issue keeping their silence.

“Um if-if it were-um, if it were true,” Mika stammered out and she raised a brow, silently waiting for the man to compose himself.

“Um,” he cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “If it _were_ true,” he emphasised, “then we could still keep quiet, deny it and risk the truth getting out, or…. We could admit it?”

Lena allowed herself a moments thought. “Pros and cons?”

Mika was quick to offer her the consequences of either decision and Ken offered some input from a legal standpoint.

Lena didn’t really have to think it through. “Keep quiet,” she decided, voice ringing with finality and she ignored the glances her employees exchanged. “But keep an eye on it and inform me of any changes.”

She reached for her mouse in clear dismissal. “Thank you for your efforts.”

They shuffled from her office after a few nods and she knew they would be discussing it, quietly, as they went back to their work. Lena had as good as confessed to making out with Supergirl and it was the hottest piece of gossip in the city right now, but they wouldn’t be able to say a thing to anyone of it.

Lena cast a glance at the newspaper and huffed before reaching for it and flipping it over. She did not need to see herself caught in a compromising position with Supergirl.

She didn’t have much respite from the images, and the feelings it brought with it, for one of her investors in Japan had sent the article and demanded an explanation and instead of clicking out of it and responding politely, Lena let her eyes roam over the photo.

Her stomach curled pleasantly in memory and she absently shifted in her chair before attempting to banish the memories from her mind. She was unable to do so and the longer she stared at the picture and remembered the more the embers in her stomach grew.

She and Supergirl had walked the sizable distance to the waterfall, only coming across one or two hikers on their way down, and Supergirl had quickly made herself scarce leaving only Lena on the trial until they passed. She would then touch down several stairs ahead of Lena and teasingly crack an invisible whip or jog down and then back up several times, much to Lena’s ire. The Krpyonian’s biology meant she could likely traverse the entire trek multiple times a minute, where as Lena was going to make it just shy of the three hour mark. Much to her displeasure. But she had been thankful Supergirl was a glorified mule for the day as she didn’t want to think about how exhausted she would be if she’d had to carry her share of their supplies up herself.

She made it to the top, eventually. And Supergirl was there to give her a high-five and snap some cheeky photo’s of her red and sweat-streaked face. Lena had been too exhausted to do anything more than half-heartedly swat at her until she got her breath back and her heart-rate back to normal. The path from then on had been easier. They only had a few more stairs to go and then it wound down into a path that led to the waterfall.

She could hear it before she saw it. The water gushing over the precipice and roaring down the side of the cliffs and splashing at the bottom. And the difference in the greenery was obvious as well. It was cooler, greener, and mustier.

There were already people there; a small group and a couple who were rolling about in the water, complaining that it was freezing.

Supergirl whizzed off to the side where no one was and set up their picnic as Lena slowly made her way over the rocks and small pebbles to her.

Lena kept a careful eye on them as she ducked around to the side of the waterfall but they didn’t appear to realise who she was or who Supergirl was. Maybe it was because she moved so fast and was now seated with a jumper over the top half of her suit.

Thankful for the Super’s wish to remain anonymous she took the moment to look, truly look, at the waterfall. It was called Peaceful Falls, and was certainly not named for the torrent of water walling a good thirty-odd feet. It was more to do with the walk itself and the scenery. This far from the city all that could be heard was the local wildlife and the waterfall. And the people, but they were quiet too, somehow sensing the need to respect this peaceful place.

The rocks around the outside turned smaller until only pebbles lead the way into the water and it was a decent swim from the edge to the cliff face where there had been a rope attached to a tree-at a safe distance from the waterfall.

“Beautiful,” Supergirl commented when she got closer and Lena glanced down at her as she took s sip from her water bottle.

She hummed in acknowledgment and looked back at the picturesque scene in front of her. “Yeah,” she sighed, to tired to do more than flop down ungracefully next to the hero. She already had the picnic basket open and had laid out their pile of food in the middle and-

“You opened the cookies?” Lena arched a brow and was rewarded with a virtual god pulling a puppy expression.

Lena sighed and rolled her eyes. “Of course you did.”

Supergirl gave a little sheepish shrug but grinned hopefully back at her. “They were really good!”

“You better have saved me some,” Lena said warningly, trying to infuse her voice with as much threat as possible but knowing it came out weak as a spring lamb.

The hero grinned at her and a cookie appeared in her hand out of nowhere. “Here!”

She thrust the cookie in Lena’s direction and she was starving and looking forward to carbs. She took the cookie and made quick work of it as Supergirl devoured a good half-dozen sandwiches while she at it neatly.

She then looked around for another. Supergirl was right. They were really good cookies.

“Uh,” the frozen grimace on Supergirl’s face caught her attention and she let her eyes narrow. “You did save me more than one cookie, right?”

The Super’s shoulders hunched forward a little and she pouted before returning with a beaming smile and Lena felt her heart flutter.

“Uhm, sandwich?” The Super handed her her own half eaten sandwich and Lena felt her nose scrunch up.

“No thanks,” she said, sighing at the loss of the cookie but unable to be mad at the hopeful alien next to her. “I’ll have a pastrami on rye though.”

The sandwich was quickly unwrapped and placed in her hands and the hero was back to happily munching on what had to be her eighth or ninth sandwich.

Their conversation rose and fell like the little waves lapping at the small stones at the waters edge. Lena loved to hear about Krypton, and Supergirl loved to share it. Having the information in her brain was one thing, but hearing about it, living it the way Supergirl did, was something else. She longed for the emotional connection to the information she knew. Plus it gave her a few more insights for her plan for Supergirl’s present.

It was coming along nicely, as was the hero’s suit, and she had finally managed to build the tools necessary to make the tech so that she could share her knowledge with the world. It was a mammoth task, but fortunately her brain had the information and all she needed to do was follow the steps. She was getting there.

The sun was heating her pleasantly and the super next to her was sprawled out like a large cat, soaking up the sun with her face tilted into its warmth when she finally decided it was time for a swim. She was starting to get hot and was a little concerned about her body odour after the big climb.

She had come prepared, her one-piece was already on beneath her clothing, and all she had to do was slip her bra off and but the swimsuit straps over her shoulders. It could all be done under her shirt-that way she wouldn’t accidently flash anyone.

One of Supergirl’s eyes flickered open at the movement and the other was soon to follow and Lena ignored the eyes on her as she pulled her shirt off and tossed it and her bra onto the towel. Oddly enough the eyes on her made her feel…. Powerful. Desired. But not in a degrading way. If anything a thrill went through her body at having the complete attention of such a powerful being and she was very aware of the neckline of her black one-piece and the curve of her breasts that it showed.

She kicked her shoes off and pulled her socks off before frowning at them and tossing them a little bit away from their picnic area. It was only natural she would sweat in them but that didn’t mean she needed a reminder. There was still a prickle of attention at her back of her neck and she cast a quick glance at the hero as she straightened.

Supergirl had gone still, almost frozen like a marble statue in a museum, and her gaze was as intense as a hunters, but Lena wasn’t feeling threatened. Her heart thumped in her chest and she rolled her shoulders as she straightened, stretching them out and curling her body to the Super’s heavy gaze. She heard a sharp hiss but ignored it.

Then she pulled her pants off, tugging them down her body and letting herself _feel_ the gentle caress as Supergirl’s eyes glided over her exposed limbs. She knew she was fit. She put hours into her body and diet to make sure of it. But it was nice to know it, especially from a woman many called a Goddess.

“I still want to see your bikini,” she teased, letting her amusement tone her voice and Supergirl pulled her eyes away from her legs and flung her arm over her face dramatically. Lena laughed softly as she tossed her sunglasses on her towel.

“Argh,” Supergirl groaned. “Lena.”

Lena allowed herself a louder laugh at the hero’s disgruntled whine and picked her way off the bank and down to the rocks. The pebbles moved under her toes and when she got to the wet sand her toes curled away in reflex.

She hissed a little as she placed her feet into the water and her skin broke out into Goosebumps.

After wading in up to her waist she turned to look back at the hero, having felt her eyes on her the entire time. “Are you coming?” She enquired and arched a brow pointedly. She could see the pout on the hero’s face but something about it seemed fake.

“I don’t have a swimsuit,” she hedged and glanced to the side and Lena let herself grin. She had thought something like this might happen, what with how keen the Super was to get her in a bikini but had almost religiously avoided her being in a bikini.

“That’s okay,” Lena said gently and the hero relaxed a moment before Lena allowed a smirk to curl her lips. “I bought a spare. It’s in the bottom of the bag. I put it in there myself,” she added warningly, knowing that the likely-hood of the Kryptonian saying that she must have forgotten it was quite likely.

“It’s even in your colours!” Lena giggled as the hero reluctantly went into the bag and pulled out a brand new Supergirl bikini.

“Lena!” She groaned but Lena wasn’t having any of it.

“Nope!” She shook her head and placed her hands on her hips, and Supergirl’s dark blue eyes was fully focused back on her. She ignored her shiver and instead beckoned the girl forward. “Come on!”

A loud groan accompanied a flash of movement and then Supergirl was rising from her position on the towel and removing her outer layers. Lena’s eyes narrowed and then relaxed as she realised that Supergirl had gotten changed and then placed clothing over the bikini to make it look more natural for her to suddenly appear in her swimwear.

Lena didn’t bother to hide her appreciation as Supergirl made her way slowly down the rocks, one arm curled around her stomach and her shoulders slightly hunched. She kept casting glances all around, unwilling to meet Lena’s eyes as she came forward, but Lena had no such problem.

Supergirl’s body was… beyond words. Lena wasn’t shy as she let her eyes take in the expanse of skin which seemed to glow gold under the sun and she traced her way up the curve of her calves, the strength of her thighs, and up over the slight curve of her stomach. It made her happy to know that even a goddess such as this still had a slight curve to it, even as the strength of her core was obvious and she wondered if she could maybe convince the hero to let that image of herself be shared with the world so that young girls would know that Hollywood lied and having a pouch was natural. She swallowed as the abs flexed under the weight of her gaze and traced the skin up until the blue and red of the bikini top drew her attention further up and then lifted her head to meet the hero’s gaze.

She had flushed under Lena’s obvious appraisal and her arms jerked a little as though she didn’t know what to do with them before she placed them on her hips, and it had never been more obvious than now that the pose belonged to someone else. Supergirl was merely coping it to feel their strength.

Her eyes were wide and…shy, as they met Lena’s and she felt the flutter of heat in her abdomen fade. She didn’t want to be responsible for anything that made this unique creature feel anything but the exquisite soul that she was.

“Come on,” she reached out and took Supergirl’s hand and tugged and she let it happen, confusedly following her deeper into the water and submerging the rest of her body.

Lena had a thought, as she felt the tension in Supergirl’s body relax the deeper they ventured, that she had never truly exposed herself, and not like this. She had been forced to hide who she was for _years_ so it only made sense that this part of her was something she was shy about as well. Unless the Girl of Steel had a very active personal life, but by how often she had visited Lena and from her own paranoia, Lena could guess that that wasn’t the case. A thought rose to the surface as she had to release the hero’s hand so she could swim towards the cliff. Had the woman ever been kissed? Had she been too afraid of her own strength and the fragility of humans to even consider it? Or had she been to shy, within herself to put herself and as an alien refugee, to put herself out there?

The water near the cliff side was cold and she could feel how deep the water was by how the sunlight only seemed to penetrate its surface so far. Her feet were cold and she had an irrational moment of fear about anything nibbling on her toes before she snorted.

“What?” Supergirl was close to her, close enough she could feel her warmth through the water, as they both tread water and Lena realised they had never been so close.

“Its stupid,” she deflected as she stared at Supergirl’s features, cataloguing the soft blue eyes that looked at her with such open wonder, the generous bow of her lips and even the little scar above her eye.

“No,” Supergirl had a little bit of a giggle in her voice. “What is it?”

Lena sighed and shook her head, glancing above her to where the rope swing dangled and calculated the reach needed to grab it and drag it up the Cliffside.

“I was worried about eels biting my toes,” she murmured, very quietly and Supergirl went quiet before she barked a laugh and it echoed across the water.

“Shut up!” She could feel her face flare as the hero laughed and pulled away, reaching for the rope and tugging it through the air behind her.

Supergirl kept laughing, but it wasn’t done in cruelty, if anything Lena knew the hero had found her the most precious human being in existence.

Growling she reached the cliff, wondering if her chances for a ell bite increased or decreased now she was close to it, she looked around for the carved out foot-holes and sort of sat in the water while she readied her body.

It was a bit difficult, hauling her body from the water and holding the rope, but she managed it, and was thankful Supergirl didn’t offer to do it. She knew the hero could do it in but a moment, but she wanted to do it for herself and she got the feeling Supergirl understood.

She clambered up the side, thankful for the hundreds if not thousands of people who had made the same journey and carved out the steps.

She climbed up high enough until she felt she would still be safe but would get a nice arc before she would fall into the water.

A thought struck her.

“Are there any logs or anything?” She asked of Supergirl and blue eyes narrowed before looking at the surface of the water intently. A few moments later and she shook her head.

“Nope. You’re clear.”

Lena nodded in thanks. It was always safe to check, even if she hadn’t seen or felt anything as she swam over.

She adjusted her grip on the log handle and made sure the rope at the bottom would get curled around her legs before letting go of the cliff and letting gravity pull her to the earth, or rather to the water. For several seconds she was falling and then the rope pulled taunt and her shoulders tensed and she was soaring up into the air again and at the peak of the arc she released the handle.

She had a few glorious moments of hang time before she hit the water and she shook of the shock of the cold water as she broke the surface of the river and turned grinning to look back up at the hero.

Supergirl was grinning with the rope already in her hands and she waited until Lena had swum back to the cliff before jumping forward, having taking a much higher height than Lena.

Lena wasn’t sure if the other visitors noticed the hang time Supergirl had, but she certainly did and knew that her trajectory was scientifically impossible for the length of the rope and the angle she jumped at. Hopefully there weren’t any scientists around watching, otherwise her friend’s identity would be shot and instead of being two visitors, they would be Supergirl and Lena Luthor at the waterfall.

Supergirl broke the surface of the water as Lena scrambled to grab the rope as it came back to her and it to her several tries.

“Cheat,” she muttered and the hero beamed at her.

“Only if you get caught!” She laughed and her body moved powerfully through the water as Lena adjusted her hold on the rope with dripping fingers.

Lena didn’t hide her scoff and the beaming face got closer as she edged long the cliff side and she was no longer trying to fold her arms around herself, modesty forgotten.

She checked the rope again and her grip, and then dove forward again, feeling the bull in her arms and shoulders as she skidded across the broken surface of the pool before arcing up into the sky and then releasing.

She hit the water with a splash and then pushed for the surface. As she did something brushed her toes and her heart nearly leapt from her chest and she broke the surface with a strangled cry and immediately set out for shore.

Her heart was hammering and she heard a splash as Supergirl came after her, powering through the water with ease and Lena was pretty sure she had never swum so quick in her life. Only when she could see the stones beneath her did she feel safe enough to place her feet down and she stood gasping a while, pulse thundering.

“Lena?! Supergirl was visibly alarmed as she quickly came to a stop before her and if anyone had seen it they probably though they were in the presence of an Olympic swimmer.

“Eel!” Lena rasped out and pushed her hair back from her face and glared suspiciously at the water she was standing on, wondering if she would be able to grow a toe back if she lost one. But then again, Supergirl would probably fight the eel for her toe. The image nearly made her laugh. Supergirl in battle with a giant black eel over the fate of her toe.

“What?” Supergirl’s features were adorably crinkled and something about the expression was familiar, painstaikingly familiar but she couldn’t for the life of her place it.

“An eel,” she said and cleared her throat. “I felt it.”

Supergirl blinked at her a moment before her features turned increadulous. “Lena. It was a leaf,” she said disbelieving.

Lena blinked as the words registered. “What?”

“It was a leaf,” Supergirl said and gave a shaky laugh and pushed some of her hair back. “After you said… I checked…. There were no eels near us. They were hiding…. It was a leaf.”

She gave Lena a sheepish smile, hesitant like the sun peaking through a curtain of clouds and Lena blinked again.

Oh, thank god! It wasn’t an eel. Then she felt her face heat with mortification and ducked her head. Great. Now Supergirl probably thought she was a coward, she thought as her heart rate slowly returned to normal.

“Hey,” Supergirl’s voice was gentle, but not as gentle as her touch as she gently lifted Lena’s chin.

“It’s okay,” she said, and she didn’t need to say anything else. Lena understood immediately.

Still. She huffed a little. “All that for a leaf, huh?” She said dryly and Supergirl’s smile was out in full force, with quiet affection and she was rubbing her thumb across Lena’s wet cheek and she wondered if she even knew she were doing it.

Her heart turned over and Supergirl’s eyes narrowed and her head tilted forward as though she were listening and Lena swallowed as she realised the hero was listening for her heart rate. Almost traitorously it increased, not at all helped by Supergirl’s close proximity or by the soft skin and gentle way she was stroking her cheek.

Lena caught Supergirl’s swallow, saw the way it caught and then was forced down the graceful throat and disappeared.

Supergirl caught her eyes and held them, a soft question, a burning intensity and Lena couldn’t escape from them if she wanted to.

Hesitantly Supergirl’s other hand emerged from the water and slowly came up to cup her cheek and she was _warm_ , so warm and Lena shivered.

“Lena?” Her name was a breathless whisper, wonder and awe and question all in one and the gentle, soft affection she was being showered with made Lena shift her head forward. It was like it was on television. Both parties aware of what they wanted but still so hesitant, as shy as to wild creatures meeting for the first time, or two teenagers wanting and aching but unable to name their desire.

Supergirl’s head shifted to the side and Lena mirrored her, heart hammering and breath catching and she paused, eyes searching and Lena gave a tiny nod and leant in. She could feel the warmth of Supergirl’s breath fanning over her face and was reassured by how irregular it was, as though Supergirl was holding her breath as well and only remembering to breathe when her lungs were burning. Warm hands, burning a trail down her body was they mapped her shape, were firm and guiding as they settled around her waist. Her own arms were limp at her sides as though she had forgotten how to _be_ , as though all she knew was the beating of her heart and her world slowly closing in on Supergirl as she leant closer.

Blue eyes were focused on her mouth as they both leant in, and Lena could see small drops of water coating Supergirl’s long, dark lashes. And then they flickered back up to her eyes, one last time, asking for permission as their lips grew ever closer, and Lena was certain she could feel her even though they hadn’t yet touched lips.

The first touch of their lips set her body alight. She could feel the shudder run through her body as her nerve endings fired like live cables and sparked in her veins. The hairs on her body forced themselves to grasp northward, pushing past the cover of water and her body broke out into goose-bumps.

Supergirl’s lips were soft, so soft as they moved around her own and Lena pressed into her a little desperately, feeling warm hands contract over her flesh and pull her closer.

She was not proud of the small, needy sound she made at the back of her throat, didn’t think she’d know she made it if not for the vibrations, but Supergirl heard it and she felt her smugness.

She kissed her harder in the hope that she would forget Lena’s momentary embarrassing moment and ran her tongue along the seam of Supergirl’s lips. They were still a bit wet from the pool, water having dripped from her hair and run down the curves of her face, but Lena didn’t care as lips opened beneath her own.

Supergirl was the one to make a sound then, and Lena felt a thrill run through her as Supergirl pulled her even closer, bodies fully flush together and audience forgotten as their tongues touched tentatively.

Lena brought her hands up to grasp at her hips, digging her hands into the warm flesh and Supergirl hissed in response, parting their lips a moment before connecting them with a lot of enthusiasm, and releasing one of Lena’s hips to grab her hair and direct the kiss where she wanted. As she lost herself in the feelings and in the woman trying to pull her breath from her body she had the thought that, whatever else Supergirl was inexperienced with, she certainly knew how to kiss.

Returning back to her office Lena shook off the tendrils of arousal in her belly and shifted on her chair. Sighing she flicked into her emails and began to draft her responses after checking the time. It was only half nine. Today was going to be a long day.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started my Star Wars fic. Oops. But I still plan to finish all of my WIP's before I post anything new (hopefully). I'm currently actively writing two (plus my WIP's) the Marriage AU, and my Star Wars AU. However my Time Travel Doomsday AU is slowly taking over my brain- but that one is a long way off. It will be massive, and I don't think I can commit to it just yet. Still. Its deliciously angsty in my head :D


	9. Heart-break

“Ya know, Little Danvers,” Maggie Sawyer commented as she sauntered into her apartment. “Seeing your face on the front page of every newspaper in the country wasn’t quite how I thought you’d tell Alex.”

Kara lifted her head from its pillow where she was lying on the couch and trying very hard not to look at any photo of her and Lena, or speak to Lena, or ever think of Lena. Think of her soft, sweet lips or the warmth of her body or the sounds she made when- and yup. There she was. Thinking of Lena Luthor again.

She gave a little groan and rolled over to look up at the ceiling as Maggie placed her keys on the bench.

“I didn’t plan it,” she could hear the whine entering her voice and hated it but didn’t have the energy to fight it.

Maggie’s laugh was soft. “How did you not see the cameras?” She asked, honestly curious and Kara could feel a blush rising to her face and made sure to cover it with her arm, but saw the understanding dawn on her sisters girlfriends face.

Maggie chuckled and flopped down onto the opposite end of the couch. “Distracted, were you?” She asked teasingly and when Kara peeked under her arm she saw the detective waggle her eyebrows. Groaning she hid her face again and Maggie laughed even harder.

“But I’ve gotta say,” she waited until Kara was looking at her again. “Luthor’s hot. Kudos, kid.”

Kara groaned again. “How can I ever show my face in public again?” She bemoaned and Maggie’s expression softened.

“I’m sure its not that bad,” she said comfortingly and placed a hand on Kara’s shin in comfort. Kara sat up so quickly she upheaved her bowl of popcorn and nearly lost it to the floor.

“Not that bad?” She demanded and shoved her glasses up her nose. “Not that bad?” A hysterical streak entered her tone but Maggie just met her eyes squarely.

“It’s terrible! People have been blowing up my-Supergirl’s- social media and its trending!”

Maggie shook her head. “It’s not that bad,” she said and lifted her hands to halt Kara’s protest. “It’s not. They image is grainy and your faces are a blur. As far as anyone knows, it is just some randoms at the waterfall, okay?”

Kara slumped back against the pillows and glanced at her interlocked hands.

“Have you talked to Lena?”

Kara shook her head and her shoulders curled in. “I didn’t know what to say. I should have realised- heard them but-“

“-But you were too busy with your tongue down Lena Luthor’s throat?” Maggie asked cheekily and Kara flushed and looked away.

“Hey,” Maggie said and returned her hand to Kara’s knee. “It’s okay to like her. It’s okay to want to kiss her.”

“I know that,” Kara replied but she could feel the crease in her forehead and no matter how much she tried to smoothen her features she couldn’t hide her distress.

Maggie tried another tactic. “So, none of these news agencies have been able to tell me what happened.” She curled her feet up on the couch, shoving Kara’s legs to the side.

“Tell Dr Maggie all about it,” she offered and looked at Kara expectantly. “It might help with what you’re feeling,” she added, ducking her head forward sincerely.

Kara gave a little sigh and then, almost unbidden, a smile crept onto her face and didn’t stop until she was grinning.

“It was…. Maggie, I can’t even- she was and I was and it was-gah!” She gave a little excited squeal and Maggie grinned.

“She’s so soft, Maggie. Like- super soft,” Kara’s smile turned shy and her cheeks took on a red dusting. “And her lips are like-like rose petals!”

She ignored the slightly incredulous expression on Maggie’s face and continued. “And her mouth! Oh, _Rao_ , her mouth!” She was about to go into full detail of the things Lena could do with her tongue when Maggie held up her hands hurriedly.

“Woah,” she said and Kara froze with her mouth partially open. “Easy there, Little Danvers.” Maggie lowered her hands and gave her a wry smile.

“If I were a single gal I’d love to hear all about Lena Luthor’s mouth but as it is… I’m gonna have to stop you right there.”

Kara blinked and slumped back in the couch, realising that discussing how Lena’s tongue was surely the embodiment of sin was probably not appropriate.

“Oh,” she sighed. “Okay. That’s probably for the best.”

They were quiet a moment, both lost in their own thoughts.

“Her PR team hasn’t denied it,” Maggie said suddenly and when Kara lifted her eyes Maggie’s were appraising. “You should talk to her.”

Kara nodded slowly.

“You need to tell her, too,” Maggie added quietly, seriously, and Kara’s eyes widened.

Maggie’s eyes were soft but her features were carefully neutral and it was such a change from how the normally fun and teasing detective was that Kara frowned.

“You can’t,” Maggie began and then paused and Kara could see her trying to find the right words.

“If you want this to go further,” she tried again and her words were hesitantly, weighted, “then you need to tell her you are Supergirl. You can’t just pursue her as,” Maggie waved her hand about and continued, “she deserves to know, and if you want anything more than friendship from her- and you do,” Maggie smirked for a moment before becoming serious again. “Then she needs to know about you. It’s not fair- to either of you.”

Kara gave a little sigh and toyed with an errant thread of the cushion she had pulled to her chest. “I know.”

Maggie brushed some of her hair back from her face and gave a little nod. Her phone vibrated and she dug it from her pocket, frowning at the message before locking it and standing.

“Duty calls,” she said wryly and smiled gently at Kara. “Go and get the girl, Little Danvers.”

 

~*~

Kara devoured seven large pizzas with extra toppings and cheesy crust, four McDonald’s family packs, two quadruple scoop sundaes, and one bowl of chicken wings as she made her way to Lena’s apartment. She was not stress eating. She was just hungry. And every time she stopped for some food she delayed the inevitable just a little bit longer, stretching out the night for as long as possible until the shadow of the sun had long faded and the stars had twinkled in the sky.

She had been able to track Lena as she left L-Corp, hidden in the back of a company car, and was driven to her apartment and she had ignored the nagging feeling that told her she shouldn’t be stalking her friend, and that she should probably get in contact with her, or at least ask her why she hadn’t said anything to the paparazzi. The media were still in a frenzy over the photos and rabid fans had taken to stalking Kara’s- Supergirl’s- flight patterns and discerning that she visited L-Corp at least five times a week, and that she sometimes stayed for hours. They also figured out which building Lena lived in, and Kara wasn’t so sure she was happy about the public knowing that and made a mental note to look into Lena’s security and see if she could convince her to move. Maybe she could move in with her? It was a pleasant thought. Her heart warmed with the idea of Lena calling home her home, but she knew it probably wasn’t likely. After all, Lena didn’t even know that Supergirl was Kara, and that Kara was Supergirl.

So now she was sort of floating aimlessly near Lena’s building and trying to be avoided by any media lens and trying to be the ‘Girl of Steel’ everyone seemed to think she was. But she wasn’t feeling particularly strong, she couldn’t even muster the courage to tell her best friend that she was her other friend and had betrayed her. Heck, she couldn’t even tell her she loved her, let alone that she and Kara were the same.

She had considered it on the way over and had come up with three scenarios with minor consequences to each. Lena would react one of three ways to Supergirl appearing and telling her she was also Kara Danvers- she had decided to go as Supergirl because Lena was currently far more responsive to Supergirl.

Firstly; to her surprise Lena had already figured out her secret and was waiting for Kara to tell her. Everything would turn out fine and maybe there would be some kissing in the near future. This was the ideal option and the one she was praying to Rao for.

Her second option, was also her second ideal consequence. Lena would be very surprised to find out that Kara and Supergirl were one and, after a (short) moment of reflection, would be completely okay with her (hopefully) (girl)friends double life and maybe there would be some kissing there too.

The final option, and the one she wasn’t given much thought too, bar the ache in her chest that nearly forced her earthward, was that Lena wouldn’t be particularly thrilled to find out about her and banned her from her life….forever. But that wasn’t going to happen! Lena was a gentle and kind soul, and she would understand why Kara had kept her silence, and everything would be okay. It would be fine.

She repeated this mantra to herself as she zipped down to Lena’s balcony, having caught Lena silently open the door for her and then return to curl up on her couch with a glass of wine and the latest technological journal.

She landed gently and quickly ducked inside, not wanting to give the paparazzi any opportunity to catch a glimpse of her. She darted through the curtains and they billowed open behind her but she was quick to hide against the wall just in case someone was positioned to see into the apartment. The thought made her eyes narrow and she glanced back out the window and around to the other skyscrapers. A quick check revealed they were empty and, reassured, she turned back to Lena and felt her breath catch.

Lena was dressed down, and it had to be one of her favourite looks on Lena, not that she didn’t look good in anything, because she did, but Kara really, really liked the casual look on Lena Luthor.

Her hair was down and looked soft and shiny and had a gentle curve to it, obvious after she had washed and dried it. It had even gone a little bit frizzy and Kara was struck with the sudden desire to run her fingers through it, to massage Lena’s scalp and feel the hum of Lena’s heartbeat under her lips, pounding through the arc of her neck.

She was wearing a jumper, a bit too large for her frame, and had rolled the sleeves up to her elbows and had tucked her legs underneath her, and she must have been wearing short shorts. And, what made Kara freeze first and foremost, she was wearing glasses. _Glasses_. Lena Luthor was wearing glasses and she looked like the sexiest nerd ever to have lived.

“Supergirl!” Lena smiled with her eyes and slowly sat her journal down and Kara walked into the room as though pulled by magnets, guided by Lena’s eyes alone.

“Have you seen the news today?” Lena enquired dryly, but she could hear some sort of… self-loathing to it. “My stock prices have risen and,” she emphasised with a little smile, her lips twisting into a half smirk, a teasing one, “we’re trending.”

Lena sat upright, curling her legs beneath her and placing her hands on her knees in a meditation pose.

“I’m-I didn’t,” Kara began and faltered as Lena changed her position again, stretching her long, long legs out on the couch and exposing her skin to suddenly hungry eyes.

Her toes were painted, something Kara hadn’t noticed, and they were _themed_. Star Wars style. A wave of affection for Lena Luthor swelled in her chest and she shook her head fondly as she continued her eyes journey up Lena’s legs.

They shifted, almost nervously under the appraisal, and she could hear Lena’s hear-rate in her chest, hear it pounding out a steady sound.

“You got distracted?” Lena asked teasingly, voice lowering and when Kara finally pulled her gaze up Lena’s legs-noticing that no, Lena was _not_ actually wearing shorts, she wasn’t wearing any pants at all- and then had to fight herself from hyperventilating- she was fully smirking, gaze knowing. It was a look that very much suited Lena Luthor. Sexy nerd indeed.

Kara swallowed, mouth going dry and gave a sharp, short, bird-like nod.

Lena’s smile widened and her heart rate accelerated a moment before she lifted her hand, nails black, and gestured her forward with a ‘come here’ flick of her index finger.

The movement fired somewhere in her belly and it was as though someone had hooked her by the insides and was dragging her towards Lena.

She walked forward as though a zealot, unaware of her surroundings and forgetting thoughts of telling Lena who she was, talking about their kiss (kisses- the thought sent a jolt of electricity through her body), talking about the media, or their future, all faded into nothing. All that mattered was Lena.

Lena who was smirking at her with her eyes behind black glasses, whose lips had parted a hair in anticipation, a slight curl to them that _twisted_ Kara’s insides. Lena; who shifted slightly on the couch as Kara walked directly into it and sent it screeching across the floor.

She noted Lena’s wince at the sound, and had a flicker of embarrassment at having been so focused on the woman below her that she had walked directly into the couch, but it was quickly drowned by the unfurling heat in her stomach and the hum of Lena’s heart.

The couch was soft and malleable beneath her and she could taste Lena’s body wash, something soft and sensual, coating the back of her tongue. She could smell her ridiculously expensive shampoo and conditioner as she braced her forearms on the couch arm and leant over Lena.

There was a glimmer in Lena’s eyes as Kara let gravity, and something unique to Lena, pull her down and in a curtain of her hair the two of them were the only people in the world.

Lena’s lips were too inviting and Lena parted them further and titled her head slightly in permission and her brow lifted in challenge. And Kara did what Cat Grant had suggested she do, all those months ago. Kara dove.

Lena’s lips curled in victory as Kara’s lips lowered on to hers and she could _feel_ her smugness.

Lena tasted like the wine she’d been drinking. A soft layer of it coated her lips and Kara pressed further into the warm body beneath her, still careful to brace her weight, but delighting in how one of Lena’s hands immediately went to her nape and stroked the skin, rousing the fine hairs there, and how her other hand mapped her upper-arm. She shivered when Lena pressed her tongue between their parted lips and opened hers instinctively, meeting Lena’s tongue with her own.

Lena shifted under her and she lifted up on her arms, unwilling to part from Lena’s lips for but a moment but wanting Lena to have the freedom of her lower body. She was startled a moment later when she felt a pressure on her side but let the gentle persuasion of Lena’s thigh guide her onto the couch, leaving her hovering above Lena with her knees pressed into the couch.

After a long moment of kissing, in which Kara felt something in her stomach unfurl and grow and press against her insides and press through her body, lighting her veins as though her blood were liquidised fire, Lena finally tore her mouth from Kara’s.

She felt a whine rumble in her chest, protesting at the action but Lena smirked and darted up to kiss her on the nose and she felt her pout turn into a dopey smile.

“Hi,” Lena breathed and her breath was soft but laboured as she recovered and Kara beamed down at her, wondering at the marvel of creation that was Lena Luthor. Her hair was fanned out beneath her giving her some sort of halo and her cheeks had a delicate flush to them, her lips as well, and her eyes were dark and Oh, _Rao_! The desire in them set fireworks off in her insides. She should have been a model for glasses, Kara decided. They suited her. Everything did, but these….. phew.

Nails scratched at her neck and she shivered, returning her attention from admiring the goddess beneath her to the actual goddess herself.

“Where’d you go?” Lena asked, voice husky and raw and full of something primal and Kara swallowed down a sound she wasn’t sure she could make.

Instead she leaned over to kiss Lena again, brushing their lips in the lightest movement before whispering, “Hey.”

Lena sneered her lip and dug her teeth into it in response and while it didn’t sting, Kara felt the action with a jolt to her stomach, electric among the fire but only fanning the inferno.

“So. I’ve had an interesting day,” Lena commented and Kara gave a little hum, having located a little freckle on Lena’s neck, faint against the alabaster skin. She hadn’t been this close to Lena while not being distracted and she wanted to kiss it.

“I think every media outlet in the country has been banging on my door demanding an-,” her breath hitched and stuttered and she pressed her head back into the couch, twitching her fingers in Kara’s hair.

Grinning Kara raked her teeth over Lena’s neck again, able to feel the way Lena’s pulse jumped in response.

“-an interview,” Lena finished, with barely a quaver to her voice but Kara knew it was there and wondered just what she had to do to break the CEO’s usually stoic composure.

“That’s interesting,” she replied, more concerned with mapping Lena’s neck with her mouth, and Lena wasn’t protesting.

Kara wasn’t proud to admit it, but she didn’t really focus on Lena regaling her day with regards to yesterdays leaked footage, in fact she was well on her way to be able to carve out the arc of Lena’s neck with her mouth alone, but Lena was still composed. It was highly frustrating. She was affected by Kara’s ministrations, which was obvious by how her heart-rate was stampeding, but her breath was mostly as strong and as rhythmic as usual, if a little laboured, and she hadn’t faltered with her words once. Instead she continued on, massaging Kara’s scalp and setting her quivering, but she still wasn’t reacting.

And then Lena made a noise that ruined Kara for all other sounds. Lena _moaned_. The sound sent ice through Kara’s body and she froze, hearing the sound race through her veins and reverberate in the chambers of her heart until it drowned all other sound. It played on loop, over and over, and Kara ached to hear it again. She ducked her head and sank her teeth into Lena’s neck and then soothed the mark with her tongue.

Lena’s hand fisted in her hair, so tight it would be painful if Kara were human and her body arched, the same broken sound forced between her lips.

Kara gave a low, pleased chuckle, delighted in the reaction she had finally coaxed from the guarded woman beneath her.

Lena hissed and grabbed at Kara’s head with both hands and pulled and Kara obeyed, grinning wickedly as Lena _attacked_ her mouth with her own. Lena’s legs were moving restlessly on either side of her body and she moved a hand to one of them, hoping to soothe it, and was promptly distracted.

She had forgotten, lost in Lena’s mouth, that she wasn’t wearing any shorts, or even pants, so her palm flattened on soft, smooth, _warm_ skin.

Lena’s leg twitched at the sudden movement but both settled around her in encouragement and Kara was helpless to obey, melting into the warm, soft body beneath her and tracing soft, inconsequential patterns on Lena’s skin with the tips of her fingers.

Lena pulled away with a little giggle and Kara’s heart melted at the sound.

“That tickles,” she explained and her nose was scrunched up adorably and Kara was thrown by how young she looked. Just how old was Lena? Sometimes she seemed old, older than Kara certainly, older than Alex even, but then other times, other times she looked young, maybe in her mid-twenties. She should ask her.

She sat back and Lena let her go, trailing her fingers down until they rested on her own stomach and she tilted her head curiously, waiting.

“How old are you?”

Lena blinked owlishly a moment through her glasses, brow tightening in confusion. “Oh-kay?” She said and her chin dipped as she gve the question some thought. “What brought this on?”

Kara channelled Kara more than Supergirl as the words tumbled from her lips but Lena just looked up at her fondly.

“Well,” Lena said slowly, a slight smirk to her lips. “I see the DEO records aren’t that thorough,” she said playfully and may have winked a little, but it could have been a trick of the light. “Or did you not read my file?”

Kara let her hands fall to her sides, brushing Lena’s thighs on the way down and she shifted on the couch, but kept her gaze clear on Kara’s, obviously wanting an answer.

She hesitated a moment and then confessed, “I haven’t.”

Lena blinked at the quiet admission and the crease of her brows tightened.

“I- I wanted- like I told you when you had that Gala… I judge people on their own merits,” she hesitated and then rallied, giving a little nod. “I wanted to know you without all of that,” she waved her hand around and ducked her head into her shoulder a little, looking at Lena through her lashes shyly. “I’m glad I did.”

There was a moment of tense silence and then Lena was surging up and pressing their mouths together, tongue sliding along the seam of Kara’s lips and licking into her mouth.

“Twenty-four,” she said when she pulled away for a moment, and Kara felt the cool gust of wind at her sharp inhale. “I’m twenty-four.”

“Twenty- six,” Kara answered and ducked her head to the opposite side of Lena’s neck, eager to lay her mark on it as she had with the other. “Technically. Though I was born over forty years ago.”

Lena did something positively sinful with her tongue. “Mh, I always did like older women.”

And Kara couldn’t fight her laugh and gently guided Lena back to the couch, connecting their lips again.

It was hours later, crying on the couch between Alex and Maggie, when Maggie told her it ‘really wasn’t a good disguise,’ and Kara gave some thought to it. People never saw Kara Danvers as Supergirl because they couldn’t look past Kara Danvers, but Lena…. Lena had no such restrictions. Kara knew this, knew that Lena could still _see_ her, even though their friendship wasn’t as close as it used to be, and the relationship between Lena and Supergirl was soaring. Lena still got Kara, guarded as she was now, but she was still able to predict her, and maybe that was why she had been so hurt when Kara had tried to trick her for information, because it was such a un-Kara thing to do.

Most people, when seeing Supergirl in glasses, would comment on how she made nerdy look sexy, but would still see Supergirl wearing a pair of glasses. Lena Luthor…. Lena Luthor knew who she was instantly…. And Kara’s world fell apart for the third time.

Kara’s hands had been tracing a path up soft skin, the fabric of Lena’s sweatshirt bunched up beneath the curve of her breasts. She had to give Kara permission, guided her palms against her skin and left them there, almost trembling on the soft curve of her belly. Kara had felt her palms burning on the soft skin beneath her, a flame licking at the tips of her fingers as she stroked the ladder of Lena’s ribs, delighting in the way her skin prickled in response and how Lena’s legs twitched restlessly.

With a soft, gentle finger-tip she traced the divots near her hips and dragged the back of her nail down and circled Lena’s navel. Lena had a piercing there and when she had paused in surprise, Lena had removed her teeth from the junction between Kara’s neck and shoulder and told her if she played her cards right she might get to see where the other piercings were. And Kara’s mind had gone blissfully blank, wondering if using her x-ray vision to find said piercing was a breach of privacy, seeing as Lena had practically _dared_ her to. And how Lena’s kiss-swollen lips curled into a breathless smirk, eyes gleaming and stormy, she knew exactly how Kara, or Supergirl, would take her words.

And then she did something that Kara was learning Lena would do for a long time to come. She surprised her. She removed her glasses and, before Kara could get out of her Lena induced haze, flipped them and pushed them onto Supergirl’s face.

Kara could tell the exact moment Lena realised, could feel Lena’s heart-rate increase in the palms that gently cupped her cheeks. She could hear the way Lena’s heart froze, before trying to make up for the rest of her bodies paralysis, over-compensating for the way her body had tensed beneath Kara.

And Kara, Kara had a window into the emotions Lena was feeling, from confusion, recognition, to betrayal and then pain, before her shutters over her eyes closed and all that Kara could see was her own startled reflection in them; a mixture between Kara Danvers and Supergirl. Kara Danvers in a super-suit.

“Get. Out,” Lena demanded quietly, voice a venomous hiss and Kara reared back off Lena and collided with the other end of the couch, sending the entire piece of furniture across the floor before Kara fell to the ground, the broken arm-rest under her.

Lena’s legs pressed into the cushions as she pressed herself into the corner, curling her arms around herself and brining her sweatshirt down to cover the tops of her legs. She looked young, pressed almost desperately into the arm-rest as though it could comfort her. The jewel in the centre of Kara’s chest, normally so bright and vibrant, shuddered. There was a pressure building in her chest, heavy and dark and her breathing accelerated in an attempt to shake it.

“Lena,” Kara began as she rose to her feet, glasses still firmly on her face and she pulled them off, the damage had already been done.

“Get out,” Lena snarled again and her arms tightened around her belly in a movement that was familiar; a girl needing the comfort of a hug but having no one to turn to.

“Lena please!” Kara begged and took step towards Lena, only to flinch at the way Lena recoiled away from her, heart-rate taking a sickening tempo and Kara faltered. The chamber that housed her heart shuddered and the great red gem itself developed stress fractures, blinding shadows veining out against the bright red. The weight on her chest was increasing and she cast her eyes wildly around the apartment, wondering if someone had brought Kryptonite into the room, because that could be the only explanation for how the strength threatened to fade from her limbs, and why her lungs couldn’t seem to contract.

“Let me expla-“

“Oh, I think you’ve said enough,” Lena’s voice was cutting, as brittle as frosted glass and just as sharp. “Get out, _Kara_ ,” she snarled and her eyes were empty in her fury. And Rao she was beautiful like this. The birth of a summer storm- electricity lawyering the air and sending shivers down the spine of all who were cowed by its presence. And was this how people felt when faced with the wrath of Nature? Wanting to kneel in awe and avert their eyes, but unable to tear their gaze away from such raw magnetism. Is this what people felt when faced with her and her cousin? Paralysed by their very presence but wanting to spend eternity under their shadow, eager for a taste of that power?

Kara felt the dark red fissures of her heart deepen with the hatred Lena was directing at her and some of the edges crumbled in on themselves.

“Lena-” she choked off, the weight on her chest expanding and threatening to smother her.

“Get out!” Lena finally lifted her voice, the rumble of it thundering around the empty apartment as though it were an echo of Zeus’ rage.

Kara felt the words as though Thor had struck her heart with his hammer, over and over as she they rung in her ears. Get out. Get out. Get. Out.

She let the force of it guide her backwards, a leaf on the wind, and she tumbled out through Lena’s balcony doors and out onto the balcony.

And as she forced herself around to look out over the city she heard Lena’s inhale hitch and a soft whine escaped her lips, as though the pain inside her forced it out. Kara launched herself into the air, unable to hide from the sound of Lena crying her eyes out and the weight on her threatened to send her spiralling into the dark street beneath her. The gorges in her heart shook a final time as they shuddered to a halt and her heart was left with thick black grooves cutting their way through her with jagged edges and grasping holes.

The stars offered her no comfort as she broke the sound barrier trying to touch them, and alone above the clouds, almost able to run her fingers through the river of stars, she finally let out a scream. Emotion; pain, love, longing, lust, sorrow, loss, tore its way up her throat, leaving it raw and sore, as she tried to expel the agony that threatened to cripple her body, and she opened her eyes and let twin bolts of power try to tear a veil in the sky. And then she fell…. back to earth, with no power to hold her up. No light to guide her home. Lena’s love absent from her heart.


	10. Secrets

She wasn’t sure where she had heard it, or indeed, where she had developed the thought, but Lena was a firm believer in self reflection. Though Jess had informed her that she often used that belief as an excuse to wallow in self pity and loathing. But no one was perfect. She knew that. But having it pointed out to her in a glaringly obvious manner was both painful and embarrassing.

Twice the fool indeed.

The pain and humiliation were two-fold she considered as she settled into her bath and closed her eyes.

The first was a little easier to deal with; not realising that Kara and Supergirl were the same person, but it was also the source of the pain.

Kara was under no obligation to tell anyone her secret. She gave enough to the world and didn’t have to give them that, it wasn’t fair. There was no tier system where the people in Kara’s life rose and were worthy of the secret- friendship, relationships- didn’t work like that. The Supergirl secret was Kara’s to tell, and she didn’t tell Lena. It was that simple. Of course, considering she had started to think of the reporter as her friend before the incident with the Medusa Virus, and she had been up close and personal with Supergirl so she wondered desperately how she had not figured out the two were the same. Kara only wore glasses and had her hair up, it was almost comical how simple it was.

Kara Danvers was the secret, not Supergirl. Lena knew Supergirl, or Kara El, or whatever her birth name was, she had spoken with her at great length in her own tongue. She’d laughed over jokes that Lena knew intimately but didn’t have a connection to, she’d cried over songs that Supergirl had sung with her, she’d wondered at the fables told to Kryptonian children. Heck, she had taught Supergirl some things, things she would only have learnt as she got older. Lena had the entirety of Krypton’s history and wealth of knowledge in her mind and had willingly and eagerly shared it with the planets sole survivor. Kal El didn’t count. He was human with the biology of an alien.

Kara Danvers was the foil Supergirl used to fit in with humans, when she herself was anything but, and Lena Luthor hadn’t been able to see the remarkable woman beneath it for who she was.

Lena had been the one to distance herself from Kara Danvers. It had been because of how unsubtle she had been when she had gone digging for information about Lillian and about CADMUS, when Lena had said, or at least implied, just how she felt about subterfuge. She appreciated honesty and practiced it to the best of her ability, which had been why she had been able to admit to herself that she had been pulling away from Kara because she had been drawn to Supergirl.

Not the cape, but the woman beneath it. The idea of Supergirl, the cousin of Superman, an alien dedicated to the protection of earth, championing justice and peace and hope, that was what the cape and symbol meant. But Lena was interested in the woman beneath it. Supergirl had lost everything except her life, and her blood cousin, and yet she found the strength to help people, to  go about every day and face the monsters under the bed with her head held high and crest proudly on display. This was a woman who had nothing and had made something, and still had the heart to help people who would probably pass her in the streets and think nothing of her. She embodied everything Lena believed humanity was capable of, and not in the self-righteous way of her cousin, but in an earnest, hopeful way. The way that only someone who had lost everything and found something worth fighting for could.

It was perhaps this hope that struck a cord within Lena. She hadn’t lost everything, but it had felt like it once, and she had considered, ever so briefly, the fire-arm in her room, before turning from the notion. She had been raised as a Luthor, and no matter what her brother had done to drag their name and ideals and reputation through the mud, Lena believed it. A Luthor wouldn’t stay down for long, and they’d come back swinging. Being left the company hadn’t come as a surprise, though her mother vanishing off the face of the earth after the trial had been. She knew she wasn’t Lillian’s favourite but she’d at least thought her mother would stay around to help her rebuild the company. Evidently not.

Moving to National City had been a fresh start, a much needed and welcome one, and she had settled in nicely. It was an excellent move for the company, away from the shadow her name cast on the city of Metropolis, and to a new city where there was instead a light, a light in the shape of an ‘S’.

She and Supergirl had gotten along quite well before they got along _very_ well. They both saw people for what they were, but they also had the foresight, or naivety, or as Supergirl had called it, _hope_ , that people could be better. It was what they fought for. Supergirl; in the streets and sky and hearts of the people, and Lena; in her business and with her products and with her wealth.

She had learnt that she and Supergirl were similar; both holding their families on a pedestal and being crushed by the truth of who they really were. The betrayal had run deep and was something the two managed to touch upon in many of their talks and it had brought them closer. Closer as Kara and Lena had slipped away…

Letting out a long, exhausted sigh Lena shifted in the water and sat up. It was getting cold and no one liked a cold bath. She emptied some of it and then turned the tap back on and swirled the water with her leg as she thought.

She had been the one to make the moves on Supergirl, not unwelcome obviously, but she had certainly been the aggressor in moving from friends to more. Not Supergirl. She had also been the one to tell Kara that she needed time from her pathetic attempt at subterfuge. At the time it had seemed oddly out of character, sneaky was hardly a descriptor for the reporter, and now Lena knew why. Having that question answered, even if Lena hadn’t thought to ask it by believing she already knew the answer, eased an ache in her chest.

Supergirl wouldn’t have spent so much time with her unless she genuinely believed Lena was a good person. They’d had that discussion a few times when Lena had been drinking and an inner voice, sounding a lot like her mother, whispered that it was a trick, a way to lure her into compliancy. Supergirl had always been firm then, firm but gentle, and her honesty (or so Lena had thought) had always been swift and defensive. Supergirl was Lena Luthor’s friend because she wanted to be, and because Lena seemed to understand some of the burdens and fears that Supergirl faced. They were friends because they were friends. It was that simple. Part of Lena had marvelled at the woman who had quickly become her best friend, a Luthor and a Super. Marvelled at how her heart had been so big she had welcomed her cousin’s enemy by name into her circle and then into her arms, into her heart. Close enough to heal them both, heal the scars their names burdened them with, to share the weight of their hope. Close enough to become something else, maybe, but also close enough to hurt.

Lena paused as she turned the tap off. Between the Luthor and Super names there had been a lot of pain, from both sides, but Lena had never thought that she would be the one doing the hurting. She’d been in so much pain since Lex had gone to war with Superman that she had expected it for the rest of her life. She never expected someone would see past the pain and suffering and instead of cutting her down, lift her up, let alone have it be an alien, to have the person be a Kryptonian, to have them be a ‘Super’. She’d never, in a million years, have calculated Supergirl… Kara….

Kara was anomality, a miscalculation Lena hadn’t been aware of, another piece of the puzzle, fitting into Lena’s life as though she belonged. She had soft curves and a strong heart, seamlessly becoming the piece that Lena needed. And maybe, just maybe, Kara had needed her to.

It would explain why Supergirl had come to see her instead of Kara.

And while she had appreciated Supergirl’s honesty, she could now consider Kara’s gentle touch as a way of furthering her won ends while shielding Lena from pain. At the time all she had seen was the deception, the truly pathetic digging into a subject Lena clutched close to her chest. She had viewed the action as a betrayal because that was what it was, on the surface.

Sinking back into the warmth of the bath she examined the situation from both sides, she could look at it objectively now, it was so long ago, and she’d grown since then, more confident in herself and her abilities, mostly due to Super-Kara.

Kara, and the people she worked with, for? She’d have to ask her how that worked. If Supergirl was employed by the city it protected her from potential legal action, but it also held her more accountable. Lena would have to look into that. But the DEO didn’t know Lena wasn’t like Lex, very few people were, and they had been the ones distrustful of her, that much had been obvious from when she broke into their facility.

Kara came to her needing to know what Lena knew but wanting to shield Lena from the truth. Whether that was right or not wasn’t what she was interested in, Kara’s intentions were. Kara had tried to see what Lena knew about her mothers activities without cluing Lena into what she was doing, or what her mother had been doing. She’d been trying to protect Lena.

Supergirl had come by later, once Kara’s painfully awkward false interview had faded into a lingering ache, and told her everything straight up. She’d told Lena exactly what her mother was doing, while reaffirming that Lena was good and strong and smart and that she was nothing like the rest of her family, while asking for her help. Lena, in her own way, had helped. In typical Luthor fashion, with as much drama as possible. You can’t teach flair.

She had asked for distance then, from Kara, to ease the sting of her betrayal and of putting her own mother behind bars. It hadn’t been easy, but then she had Supergirl. Supergirl had understood and shared with her, her own shame, that her father had been the one to design the Medusa Virus. Of all the people on Earth, it had been an alien who understood Lena best in that moment. Kara had then hesitantly, haltingly, told her about her aunt. Astra. She’d cried quietly, wiped away the tears but carried on. Telling Lena how her aunt had fought for something that was wrong, and she had to fight against her, and how it nearly destroyed her because Astra had been Supergirl’s family, someone who loved her and who she loved in return.

That had been the first time they had held each other, Luthor and Super, crying for the sins of their family that no one else understood. They’d gotten closer after that.

Kara had been an afterthought, almost. The sting of the betrayal hadn’t faded and maybe Lena had kept it close to her heart, holding it in remembrance as a reminder not to trust her, to not let her back in even when she tried so hard. Kara had given her space, and then hesitantly asked for lunch dates and walks and movies, even a visit to the museum, and Lena had gone to meet her with her walls up. It was no surprise that Kara had stopped trying, and that was what Lena had expected, and maybe even wanted, vindication that no one wanted to stick around. Kara had been too wary of the fragments of their friendship to call her out on it and so the pieces had drifted further and further apart until it was too hard to put back together and they had mostly given up on it. They still met, once a week or so for a lunch, but that was it.

Lena instead spent her spare time with Supergirl… who was actually Kara, or was Kara Supergirl? It was very confusing.

Had Lena made the move on Kara or on Supergirl? And which one had reciprocated? Because she had, Kara, or Supergirl, been more than willing, if Lena recalled correctly.  And she responded so prettily to her flirting. Though, Lena considered, she had been passive, responding to Lena but never making the move herself. Lena had thought that it had been because of Supergirl’s inexperience (which she was planning on discussing when she had seen her next) and hesitance, not because she wasn’t willing. Something heavy and dark flickered to life in Lena’s belly and she rose from the bathtub, thoughts of relaxation gone. She’d never forgive herself if Supergirl hadn’t been willing, that wasn’t the kind of person she wanted to be, and she respected Kara so much that the idea of it repulsed her.

She let the water fall from her body and drip into the tub as she bent down to remove the plug.

No, she decided, though the anxiety of it lingered, Kara had been a willing participant in their make-out sessions. An eager participant.

The source of the betrayal Lena was now feeling then, overwhelming the humiliation and sting of not being told Kara and Supergirl were the same, was the fact that Supergirl had pursued more than a friendship with her while she was angry with Kara.

Had Lena known she wouldn’t have been so eager to trace Supergirl’s lips with her own, and learn the contours and curves of her mouth. It was that simple. If she had known she would never have let Supergirl get so close to her, close enough to heal but also, as she had found out, close enough to hurt.

Stepping from the tub she took her heated towel and began to pat herself down.

She and Supergirl hadn’t really talked, or at least they hadn’t talked about the new and exciting change to their friendship, and maybe that was Lena’s fault. She had kissed her first, she had gestured Supergirl closer and promptly forgotten about speaking while her mouth was otherwise occupied.

It happened, Lena knew this. Excusing her self from responsibility also meant excusing Kara from it. She couldn’t blame Kara for not talking to her about their relationship, when she herself didn’t take or create an opportunity and was too occupied with other more pleasurable things.

And when Kara had realised, when the truth was laid bare, Lena hadn’t allowed her the opportunity to explain, too consumed by her own feelings of betrayal to see it reflected in Kara’s eyes.

People delayed the necessary all the time, it was human nature, and she was guilty of it as well. It just hurt, and now that she had spent the past two days thinking about it, she could finally see it clearly.

She had a few options, she decided as she slid her pyjamas on. She could cut both Kara and Supergirl out of her life completely, or she could keep them in her life, independent of the other, or she could continue with her…friendship… with one or the other. It would be hard to compartmentalise the two of them being one, or at least being the same person, because Kara Danvers was different from Supergirl. Kara Danvers was extra ordinary; a human, fragile and boring, with nothing remarkable about her. Supergirl was an alien, extraordinary, she was an idea, something to aspire to.

She was taking her empty glass to the kitchen when her security announced a visitor. It wasn’t even five in the evening yet, who could possibly be visiting her?

Curious she walked over to one of the many control panels in the house and tapped it.

She wasn’t surprised to see who her visitor and hesitated before allowing the elevator to continue up to the penthouse.

Alex Danvers let herself in as Lena gently rinsed her glass and her footsteps were hurried.

“Lena.”

The use of her name from the elder Danvers sister was a surprise and made Lena lift her eyes to fully take in her guest.

The agent was in her uniform, tactical gear and black fabric ripped and covered with dirt. There was a harried desperation to her eyes and her features were pale and gaunt.

“Alex?” She asked feeling dread line her stomach.

“Have you seen the news?” Alex demanded as she came into the kitchen and ran her fingers through her hair in an obviously familiar motion, judging by how it was at odd angles.

Lena hadn’t. She’d taken a long weekend and had devoted herself to terrible television, good books, take-out, wine, and relaxation. It was almost a vacation. One she hadn’t had since she was a child and the Luthor’s would go skiing or hiking or Lena and Lex would enjoy time on the beach while Lionel and Lillian worked.

“No? What’s happened?”

She could feel the heavy coating in her belly tighten and twist with unease.

“CADMUS has Kara,” Alex said without delay and Lena nearly broke the glass in her hand with how swiftly it tightened as her heart tried to leap from her mouth.

“What?” She asked weakly and faltered slightly against her granite bench top.

“I need you to help me find her,” Alex said getting straight down to business and Lena caught the frantic, almost wild look in Alex’s eyes and knew it was serious.

“Let me get dressed,” Lena said, quickly placing her glass on the bench and moving swiftly to her room.

She grabbed the first things from the top of her bed, a pile of her washing that she hadn’t been bothered to fold and put away yet. Fortunately there was a pair of jeans, a faded Lord of the Rings t-shirt, a bra, and her old MIT sweatshirt.

Fairly certain she’d put one of her socks on inside out she nevertheless jammed her feet into a pair of old converse and zipped off down the hall.

She took advantage of the wall to properly pull her shoes on and then continued.

“I need to go to L-Corp,” she said as she emerged back into the living space and looked around for her glasses. She didn’t have time for her contact lenses and she couldn’t care less about her appearance. Kara was in danger!

“What happened?’ She asked as she spotted them on her couches armrest. “I haven’t been keeping up with the news.”

Jamming them onto her face she swept past Alex and grabbed her keys.

“After your talk with her,” Lena could feel the eyes at her back and the judgement in Alex’s tone but said nothing as she turned the security on and held the door open for Alex to pass through. “She solar flared.”

Lena cast a worried look at Alex as the two marched towards the elevator.

“She didn’t hurt anyone when she landed,” Alex added, “but CADMUS got to her before our agents could. We fought them but they got away. We’ve been trying to find her ever since.”

The elevator descended quickly, but not quick enough and Lena decided that she needed to revamp the entire system so that it went faster because the minute it took was very valuable time.

“What about her GPS locator?” Lena asked as they came into the basement and quickly stepped from the doors before they opened fully.

“My cars upst-,”

“This will be faster,” Lena said and ignored Alex in favour of striding quickly towards a black motorbike parked in the corner. There were a lot of cars down here, a lot of very nice cars, and a few bikes.

“It was deactivated,” Alex answered her earlier question. “We tried following them through the security feeds but didn’t get very far. She vanished. What’s at L-Corp?”

Lena rushed to a locked and pulled out a pair of helmets, tossing one to Alex before jamming her own one on her head.

“Have your people hold the traffic lights,” her voice was muffled and the ocean was in her ears with the pulse of her heart. “I’ll show you when we get there.”

Alex looked sceptical and Lena rammed her visor down.

“I know you can, hurry it up. This’ll be faster.”

Trusting Alex to do as she asked she straddled her bike and wheeled it from its park, feeling it rumble powerfully beneath her.

Alex was quick to press a finger to her ear and rely Lena’s request, adding that they were going to take the fastest route to L-Corp, before straddling the bike behind her.

“How good are you on this thing?” Alex asked and Lena allowed herself a grin. She was very good.

She gave Alex a moment to adjust herself and then kicked off the ground and drove quickly towards the exit. The security guard knew she was coming, the system in the elevator connected to the buildings security network and they would be able to see on the cameras her movement so the door was already rolling up as she got there.

Timing her exit right she checked both sides of the street before gunning out and into the traffic. She  ignored the traffic laws as she zoomed between cars and could tell Alex was a little anxious about her driving by the way her hold tightened. Thankfully the DEO came through and Lena miraculously hit every green light on her way across town, speeding past the other cars as though they were stationary. She momentarily thought that if she got a ticket or was followed by police, if they could keep up, the DEO had better have her back regarding any traffic violations. She was doing this for them, for Kara, after all.

What usually took a good half an hour in peek traffic took less than ten and soon Lena was driving up the stairs and into the L-Corp building. There were still paparazzi around but she ignored them, gunning the engine and beeping in warning. People stopped and stared, and she could see her security mobilising so launched herself off the Ducati and tore her helmet from her head. Behind her Alex was dismounting and speaking into her ear-piece and the camera’s were flashing as she set the bike on its stand and turned it off. Her helmet clanked a little as it rolled down the steps and she spared a brief thought to the increased workload of her PR team. Having the CEO show up in casual clothes, on a motorcycle, and then abandon it in front of the building was not a good look. Especially after Supergirl had gone missing. Especially after Lena Luthor and Supergirl were allegedly caught kissing in front of a waterfall.

“Mike, let me through,” Lena yelled as she and Alex bolted towards her line of advancing security through the metal detector doors. They screeched in warning when Alex passed through and security brought their guns up warningly. “She’s with me,” she shouted and her Head of Security hesitated and then spoke into his collar. Behind her the press were trying to force their way inside, a wave of people and her door security had to rush to contain them.

“Miss Luthor?” He enquired as he jogged to meet her, casting a glance at Alex as her rapidly formed security detail hovered awkwardly awaiting instructions.

“Everything’s fine, Mike.” Lena said as she jogged across the polished floors with Alex on her heels. “Send everyone home,” she said quickly. “Paid,” she added. “Unless their projects are essential.”

“Of-course Miss Luthor,” Mike said as she pressed her palm against the elevator control panel.

“Thank you,” she said and Alex ducked into the elevator behind her.

Lena was quick to press a button which opened an entirely new set of command prompts and tapped the screen for the lower level basements.

The elevator descended quickly, with none of the cliché elevator music that usually accompanied a similar journey and then they were opening up into space well beneath L-Corp. Past the offices and labs and parking, right into the heart of the Research and Development.

 There were only a few people here and Lena waved to a few and nodded to others as they swept past. She could see Alex’s eyes flicking over everything and wondered if Alex would sign an NDA if she asked. The work that was being done down here was highly advanced and deeply classified. She’d hate to have someone else cotton on to it.

She led Alex past the cubicles and wide open rooms until she came to a heavily armed door. Here she pressed her palm against the door and pricked her finger on the offered blood authorisation. She offered her retinal for a scan and even spoke her name into a hole on the wall. “Lena Luthor. And guest,” she spoke clearly and eventually the light clicked green and the door opened.

“My private lab,” she answered to Alex’s impressed brow raise.

Inside was her sanctuary. It was as fully equipped as the labs outside but just more compact and designed for one, or maybe two people at a max. It was designed for the head of L-Corp, for the brains behind the operation, for the Luthor in Luthor, or L-Corp.

There were computers and screens, all of advanced quality that Alex was sure Winn would love to get his hands on, there were cameras on the roof and wall and benches with all sorts of equipment.

Behind her she could hear Alex give out a little groan of desire. Her lab was full of the best equipment money could buy and Luthor brains could enhance, it was a scientists paradise.

Her present for Kara was over in the corner, surrounded by tools; some familiar and some strange.

“I had to make my own equipment,” Lena explained needlessly as she walked quickly towards a large cabinet and placed her hand on the metal by the door. It flickered briefly to life and then a scanner took note of Lena’s palm before it beeped green and the door clicked open.

“Is that?!”

“Yes,” Lena said as she pulled the doors open completely to show the suit inside.

“I found it when I was going through Lex’s things,” Lena said as she stepped back to let Alex look at the suit fully.

It looked like a robot suit, like something from Iron Man*, only bulkier and deadlier; designed for combat with a Kryptonian. It was Lex’s War-suit. Or a version of it. It was connected to various cords and chains, keeping it upright, and connecting it to some sort of computer panel.

“He designed it for me,” Lena said looking at the suit and feeling a pang in her chest, sadness and repulsion in one.

She could see Alex glancing at her front the corner of her eyes but ignored it.

“Let me reprogram it,” Lena said and turned from the suit to march over to a tablet and turn it on.

“You’ll need to take your equipment off,” she added as Alex turned from the suit and concealed the disgust on her face. Lena understood. This suit was designed to take on Superman, or now it could be used to take on Supergirl. Its very existence was a danger to Kara. The only positive to the suit was the gap in its chest where the kryptonite would sit, able to be melted down and sent through the entire exoskeleton of the suit, or able to be turned into a gas or laser.

Lena tapped away on her tablet as Alex started to removed her guns and utility belt.

“Comms?” She asked and Lena shook her head as she walked over to the suit and pressed her palm against it.

“It will interfere with the command pathways. Sorry,” she explained as the suit flickered into life and Lena frowned at what she was seeing on her tablet.

“What?” Alex asked as she placed the last of her gear on the table.

“Short on power,” Lena said and the suit brightened with a tap of a few buttons. Lights were running along it now and when Lena pressed another button it clicked and the front of it opened, melting into its self and leaving a shell.

Alex let out a whistle.

“You’ll have about half an hour of flight time,” Lena peered at the readings again. “And maybe fifteen minutes of combat, give or take.”

Alex chanced her glance as she stood next to her in front of the suit. “Human level or….?”

“This will let you go toe to toe with the Cyborg my mother is so fond of,” Lena said, barely disguised hatred entering her tone. “It should be enough to get you in and Supergirl out.”

“Yeah but we have to find her first,” Alex pointed out as Lena stood aside to gesture her into the suit.

“Yes. I have an idea about that actually.”

“Why didn’t you start with that?” Alex grumbled. That was why she had gone to Lena for help. Maybe the Luthor would be able to find her mother.

“When Lex designed the suit he needed to know where Superman was at all times. He sent a satellite into space for that very purpose.”

Alex paused from where she was sliding her feet into the boots of the suit. “Seriously?”

Lena gave a little shrug. “He’s dramatic,” she said and went back to her tablet. “Kryptonian’s have a different heat signature than humans do.” Lena hesitated and then glanced up at Alex. Her eyes narrowed. “Which I’m sure you already knew.”

Alex met her eyes briefly and then continued to settle into the suit. It didn’t open completely, unfortunately. It was an older model and Alex had to slip her hands into the gauntlets to encase her arms, as well as get her feet into the boots. It was a lengthy process and obviously Lex had realised that for his final suit design, for that one was able to open completely.

“What time did she.. solar flare?”

“After you rejected her,” Alex said pointedly, voice tipped with venom and Lena glanced up from her tablet to give Alex a well deserved glare.

“While I appreciate what you’re going through, Agent Danvers,” Lena replied, octave lowering dangerously, “I wasn’t the one who was lying the entire time. She had plenty of opportunities to come clean and she didn’t.”

Alex’s jaw moved and she bit back her response but Lena could see the ire barely contained.

“We can discuss it when we get her back,” Lena said dismissively, turning their attention back to the problem.

“What time did she land?”

Alex met her eyes and gave a little nod. “Ten thirty seven.”

Lena made a note on her tablet. “Where did she land?”

“Outside National City. A farm,” Alex said and offered the co-ordinates.

“And CADMUS got there before you could? With your Martian and choppers?”

Alex looked a little uncomfortable as she strapped herself into the suit properly.

“J’onn got there first but CADMUS was already there.”

Lena frowned. “How fast can he fly?”

Alex stiffened and her reply was sharp. “Why?”

Lena rolled her eyes at the suspicion. “If you were tracking Kara and managed to get to her after CADMUS, then it is possible they were tracking her to. Or,” Lena frowned in thought, mind whirling. “She landed closer to them than to you.”

She saw the moment Alex realised what she was saying.

“It took J’onn three and a half minutes to get there,” Alex said nodding slowly as she thought it through. “But he delayed it while we waited for confirmation of what had happened. We didn’t want to disturb her, and there were no reports of a fight. We didn’t know anything had happened until the farmer went to check and called it in.”

Lena quickly did the math. “So it took you, what, fifteen minutes to know something had happened and another three for J’onn to get there? What about the choppers?”

Alex shook her head as Lena tapped another button and the suit contracted and started to shift back into place. She winced slightly and Lena was reward with the usually unflappable Agent’s features twisting anxiously.

Alex settled when the suit clicked into place and Lena had her run through some tests. “Lift your arms and legs, and then we’ll disconnect you.”

Alex obeyed as she answered Lena’s earlier question. “No. We found out about thirteen minutes after she landed. The call took another two to be placed through to us, and then J’onn headed out there. CADMUS had a chopper there as well as Henshaw. They were loading Kara up when he got there. They got away.”

Lena did the math as Alex lifted her feet as though she were a puppet on a string, the mechanics of the suit lifting and shifting with her movement.

Ten thirty-seven plus thirteen and two with J’onn’s flight time gave CADMUS less than eighteen minutes to get to Kara, land, and be in the process of getting her into the chopper by the time J’onn got there.

“What was the chopper?”

“A refurbished Black Hawk,” Alex responded quickly and Lena could see her own mind churning with the math. “About 300km an hour.” It could probably go faster but the likelihood of CADMUS having a new Black Hawk, and one that hadn’t been altered, was slim.

Lena hummed. “So… seven to eight km per minute then and two ish? Minutes for the load…”

Alex nodded along with her. “They would have had to have been within, say, a twelve minutes flight away.”

Lena ducked her head. “Narrows our radius a little. Anything you can tell me about direction?”

Alex shook her head, obviously getting frustrated. “You don’t think we tried that? The chopper just disappeared off the satellites.”

“Mh,” Lena hummed a little and tapped a button on her tablet. Alex fell from the suit hanger and spilled out onto the floor. “Oops,” Lena commented and pressed another button on her tablet and the suit whirled before beeping and Alex got to her feet. The mechanics shifted and squealed with the movement and Lena winced.

“Walk around a little and work the kinks out.” She tapped again on her tablet and the helmet slid into place. Alex’s voice was muffled and Lena tapped a few more command keys.

“Can you see?”

“What is this?” Alex asked and she shook her head in the suit.

“It’s retinal activated,” Lena explained. “You can activate the different forms of vision by the icon in the corner, and the weaponry system is in the left.”

Alex’s voice was a moment in coming. “You know a lot about this suit.”

Lena almost snorted. Alex’s suspicion was obvious.

“I helped design the computer system…. Back before I knew what he was going to use it for.”

Lena checked all of Alex’s vitals and the suits systems before tapping out of the tablet and entering the L-Corp servers. “I designed it for firefighters, originally.”

Alex was walking around, looking like a bulkier version of Robo Cop and Lena had a brief flash of telling Kara before she remembered that Kara already knew Alex was a badass.

Once inside her servers Lena opened a system wide search. Looking for abandoned, destroyed, repurposed, or even sold properties near National City. If CADMUS was hiding out at another of her brothers hideouts, Lena should be able to find it. She’d transferred the entirety of Luthor Corp’s files over to her own system, keeping them safe so they couldn’t be viewed or contaminate any of her data, with the hope of finding all interesting purchases Lex had made. Maybe she could find something.

“I’m surprised they aren’t trading Supergirl for my mother, or for Lex,” Lena offered as the thought occurred to her. She heard a muffled sound from the suit and figured Alex had snorted.

“That would never happen,” her voice was garbled but Lena understood the message.

“Mh,” Lena considered it a moment and wondered if Alex was speaking from her head or her heart, because Lena was just about ready to break Lillian out of jail herself if it meant Kara’s safe return.

It took Lena a few minutes, and she was glad she’d written an algorithm that took the data and recorded it with code words, basically turning all of Lex’s files into a giant google search.

“I’ve got something,” she said after bringing up the file.

“Luthor Corp had shares in a steel factory that had a warehouse on the outskirts of NC.”

Lena read a little further and swiped to the next page. “It was closed down in two-thousand and fifteen but,” she swiped again and felt a flicker of life igniting in her chest. “We’ve been billed for power since then.”

“Co-ordinates?” Alex appeared at her shoulder and Lena glanced at her before giving her the information she wanted to know.

“Lets go,” she said and started to stride across the floor and Lena winced at the slight imprint she was leaving in the concrete.

“Tread gently,” she admonished and took a moment to grab Alex’s belt, guns, knives, and her comms.

“Can you patch me through to the DEO?” Alex asked as they two swept from the room and into the other lab. Thankfully her scientists had taken her paid leave for the evening.

Lena took a moment and with a few clicks on her tablet had breached the DEO internal comms.

“Don’t get me into trouble for that,” she commented as they entered the elevator and Alex laughed slightly before speaking out loud.

“This is Agent Danvers. I have a possible location on Supergirl.”

Lena had the elevator take them up to the roof while Alex explained where she was and what she was doing, also requesting an assist. From her side of the conversation Lena understood that J’onn had been hurt in the fight with Henshaw but would be able enough to join Alex and the other agents to the suspected CADMUS base.

On the roof Lena taped a few buttons on her tablet.

Alex let out a shout of pain and fell to her knees, leaving great dents in the roof and Lena made a mental note to have maintenance fix the helicopter landing pad.

“Sorry!” She apologised and then explained. “I’ve synchronised the suit to your brain waves. Everything should be done by thought now.”

Alex grunted as she got back to her feet and her head tilted to the side in exaggerated thought.

“Annnnd now there’s a giant gorge in my landing pad,” Lena commented as she eyed the smouldering sides of the giant tear the laser from Alex’s gauntlets had torn in her roof.

“Ohmygod!” Alex had lifted her hands up apologetically and Lena shrugged. It was designed just like the Super’s laser vision, a beam of plasma power that could be controlled by thought. She was just glad it worked. Hopefully it would work on Henshaw.

“Consider it practice for the cyborg,” she said and took a careful step back after consulting her tablet.

“I’ll head to the DEO,” she said and offered Alex a half smile before it faded into seriousness. “Bring her home.”

The glowing blue eyes of the mask nodded and then Alex took a step back, eyes turning skyward and then the suit rumbled and Alex was launched into the sky. Her yell was muffled and Lena bit back a laugh as she turned back towards the elevator. Alex would bring Kara back, if she were there, it was her duty as an elder sibling, as a good one. The thought made her heart hurt. While she was glad, so glad, that Kara had someone like Alex on her team, it made her sad for her own relationship with Lex. He had been her hero, once, but all that was left of that was ash.

 

*So I decided that in the DCU the MU exists. So the characters are familiar with the MU heroes via Comics and Film but they are only actors and characters, not real people :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm ready to close this fic (for a variety of reasons) which is why this will now seem hurried compared to my usual pace. I'll endeavor to cover all of the bases and tie up loose ends but... it may not happen.


End file.
